


Something Borrowed

by Blizzardsoflizzards



Series: Hunt's End [2]
Category: Bloodborne (Video Game), Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Horror, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-03 11:11:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14567766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzardsoflizzards/pseuds/Blizzardsoflizzards
Summary: Two years after the events of "Hunt's End", Julie is considering asking for Penny's hand in marriage. However, the coming of Spirit's Eve brings with it ominous omens.





	1. In the Air Tonight

It was dark and cold.

 

Julie stood stock-still in the center of a small clearing, her left hand hovering over the hilt of her sword. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, fog rising up from her mouth. Her eyes scanned the darkened woods. She was certain that she had heard something.

 

She strained her ears to listen, but she heard nothing, not even the chirp of insects. The forest had fallen deathly silent. Julie’s fingers wrapped around her sword’s hilt. Something was here.  Something was watching her.

 

Julie had come to the forest for a bit of sword practice, as she did once a week or so. Her silver blade hung at her hip in its leather frog, faintly reflecting the moonlight.  She was grateful to have her weapon at hand.

 

A twig snapped behind her, and in one fluid motion she dove forward, rolled to her feet, and unsheathed her blade. There was a rustling of underbrush and Julie raised her sword defensively in front of her, ready to fight.

 

She had prepared for any number of things (most of them awful). However, instead of a beast, a visibly shaken Leah emerged from the treeline with twigs and leaves stuck in her hair and multiple tears in her jacket. She was panting and out of breath, and moving so fast that she had to skid to a halt to keep from barreling into Julie.

 

Leah’s eyes went to the silver blade gleaming in the moonlight and she let out a yelp before beginning to scramble backwards. Julie dropped the blade and called after her.

 

“Leah! Leah, it’s me!”

 

Leah stopped, but looked at Julie suspiciously until Julie removed her hat and the scarf covering her nose and mouth. Her hair tumbled down over her shoulders and she shook her head to get it out of her eyes.

 

“Julie!” Leah said. “Thank goodness it’s you!”

 

She rushed forward and threw her arms around Julie.

 

“What’s going on?” Julie asked. “Are you okay?”

 

Leah turned and looked into the forest.

 

“I was out picking berries and I didn’t notice the sun going down. When I was walking back to my cottage I must have taken a wrong turn. I got lost. I’ve been trying to get out of the forest for  almost two hours!”

 

Leah took a breath to steady herself. Julie could feel her shaking.

 

“That’s not even the worst of it. Just as I was ready to resort to forging my own trail through the trees, I heard someone walking toward me. I looked all around but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. I kept walking, but the sound followed me. I started to run and I heard whatever it was behind me pick up its pace. I felt something right behind me, breathing down my neck. That’s when I panicked and bolted into the woods. I abandoned my berry basket, I was so scared!”

 

Julie looked into the dark, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She saw nothing.

 

“Well, you’re safe now.” Julie said, her eyes still on the trees. “You’re sure something was following you?”

 

“Positive.”

 

“I see. In such case, why don’t you come with me? We’re not too far from my property.”

 

Leah looked at her with gratitude.

 

“I would sincerely appreciate it. I hope I’m not imposing.”

 

“Nonsense! I’d feel better knowing you’re safe. Besides, dinner ought to be ready soon. Penny’s making vegetable soup!”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“Okay. That sounds great. Thank you, Julie.”

 

“Of course! What are friends for?”

 

Julie retrieved her sword from the damp grass. Before sheathing it, she took one more look around. The feeling of being observed had passed, but Julie didn’t like the sound of whatever was following Leah. She resolved to stay on guard until they were safe at home.

 

The two women began walking down a path that lead from the woods to the river that ran through Julie’s land. It was a decent distance to walk, but they kept a good pace.

 

“What were you doing out on your own?” Leah asked as they walked. “Fancy taking walks in the dark?”

 

Julie chuckled.

 

“Not quite.” She gestured to the clearing. “I come out here to practice my swordsmanship on occasion. It’s a nice clear area with room to swing.”

 

“Why not just practice in front of your house?”

 

“There’s not a lot of room on the farm these days. We’ve also got a full-blown garden now! I’ve got pumpkins growing in front! Also, to be honest, I think it makes Penny nervous whenever I start waving my blade about.”

 

Leah let out a brief laugh, still a bit shaken.

 

“I can imagine.”

 

They crossed the bridge and began making their way up the cobblestone path that led to the house. When they arrived at the door, a little black bombay cat wound its way around their legs, mewing to be let in. Julie reached down and scratched the cat gently under its chin.

 

“Heya, Bast.” Julie said in the sort of voice one reserves for speaking to small animals. “You want in?”

 

“Mrow.”

 

“That’s what I thought. Say hi to Leah.”

 

“Mrow!’

 

“Good kitty. Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

 

Julie opened the door a few inches and Bast zipped inside. Julie stuck her head through the gap and called out.

 

“Penny?”

 

“In the kitchen!” 

 

Julie turned her head in the direction of the kitchen and caught sight of her girlfriend standing at the stove over a pot. She wasn’t wearing pants, as was the norm around Julie’s farm. Bast curled around her feet, meowing for food. Julie cleared her throat.

 

“Er, hon? We have a guest.”

 

Penny turned around. 

 

“Oh? Let me go get decent.”

 

Penny lowered the heat on the soup and made for their bedroom to get dressed. A minute or two later she re-appeared wearing sweatpants.

 

“Please, come on in.”

 

Julie said to Leah, opening the door wider for her. Leah stepped inside.

 

Julie took a deep breath and took in the aroma of Penny’s cooking. Her culinary skills were improving all the time, and tonight the food smelled delicious. Julie went to the stove to give the soup a stir before she put away her sword and coat.

 

“Hey, Leah.” Penny said with a friendly wave. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

 

Leah looked sheepishly at the floor.

 

“I, uh…” She began. “I kind of ran into Julie running away from something else.”

 

Penny’s face lined with concern. Only now did she notice the tears in Leah’s jacket.

 

“Oh, dear! Are you okay?”

 

“I am, just a bit rattled.” Leah looked around the well-lit house. “Now that I’m safe and indoors, it feels a bit silly. I’m sure it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. That’s what I get for staying out too late.”

 

“I don’t know, I felt something too.” Julie said. “You never know what lives in the woods.”

 

She probably wasn’t helping. A nagging thought was pulling at the edge of her mind but she couldn't quite bring it to bear.

 

“What sort of thing do you think it could be?” Leah asked Julie. “I’ve lived at the edge of those woods for years, and this is the first time I’ve felt scared of them.”

 

Julie wished she had a better answer.

 

“I’m not sure. I’ll check it out in the morning, when we’ve got daylight on our side. Better to be safe than sorry, right?”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“Right. Thanks again for having me over. I feel much better now that I have other people around.”

 

“Of course!” Julie said. “Go ahead and sit down, I’ll get you something to drink.”

 

“Food should be ready any minute!” Penny said. “I’m just adding the finishing touch!”

 

Penny opened the cabinet over the sink and retrieved some dried hot peppers leftover from their summer harvest. She added them to the soup and stirred.

 

Julie set about making tea for Leah, setting a kettle on the stove next to the soup pot. While she waited for the water to boil, she retrieved a can of cola from the refrigerator and sipped from it to ease her nerves.

 

Soon enough, the tea was made. Leah held the steaming mug in two hands, blowing into it gently to cool it. Julie and Penny joined her at the table, bringing with them three bowls of piping hot soup.

 

“Mmm!” Leah exclaimed. “Penny, this is delicious!”

 

Penny’s face colored a bit.

 

“I’m glad you like it! I’m a little self-conscious about my cooking, to be honest. I’m still learning.”

 

“I feel like that’s cooking in general. A constant learning process.”

 

“Exactly!”

 

Julie was glad to see Leah relaxing. The incident from earlier still bothered Julie, but it was something best left for the morning. She would arm herself and head into the forest to investigate at first light. No sense dwelling on it for the time being.

 

For now, being back home with Penny nearby was doing wonders for Julie’s anxiety. She laughed at something Leah said and the sound warmed Julie’s heart. How she adored hearing that laugh.

 

“Julie, what do you think?”

 

Shit.

 

Julie’s attention snapped back to the conversation. What had just been said? Damn it. She took a guess. Maybe they were referring to the soup?

 

“Delicious!”

 

The looks on Penny and Leah’s faces told her she had failed grammatically, but she covered by swiftly eating a spoonful, scalding her tongue a bit in the process.

 

“Well I’m glad you think so!” Penny said. She turned back to Leah. “My first few tries were… Less than successful. But Julie has been my courageous taste tester since we met!”

 

Penny met Julie’s eyes and smiled warmly. It was a look they shared often, and it never failed to send Julie’s heart a-flutter.

 

“It’s been my pleasure.” Julie said. “And your first tries weren’t  _ that  _ bad.”

 

“Do you remember the garlic cookies? Because I remember the garlic cookies.”

 

“Protection from vampires!”

 

“What’s a vampire?”

 

“Nevermind.”

 

They chatted idly while they ate, all fear from the forest forgotten. Julie felt a furry presence brush against her shins.

 

“Mrow!”

 

“Hey there. You hungry, girl?”

 

“Mrow!”

 

“Okay, okay, let me go get a tin.”

 

Julie excused herself from the table and went to the cabinet in the kitchen where they kept Bast’s food. She set a tin on the counter and Bast leapt up beside it, purring into Julie’s hand and meowing insistently. Julie pulled the ring pull and Bast dug into the food with gusto.

 

Julie almost didn’t notice something passing by the window.

 

It was quick, just a blur of movement. It could have easily been a bird or a squirrel, but the sudden motion set Julie on edge. Bast reacted to the presence as well, making a disgruntled noise and leaping off of the counter. Julie took several steps backwards and snatched up her sword, her eyes still glued to the window.

 

“Julie? Is something wrong?”

 

She felt like she was being paranoid, but she needed to check.

 

“No, everything’s fine. I just need to have a look around outside. I’ll be right back.”

 

She darted into the bedroom and flicked on the light before going to the curtains and pulling them open. She needed all the light she could get.

 

Julie was out the door in a flash, blade drawn and ready for anything. She stepped outside into the cold night air and shivered. It was approaching the end of Fall, and Winter would be here soon. Julie’s breath turned to fog as she rounded the side of the house.

 

She didn’t know what she was expecting, but nothing was all she found. In the light streaming from the bedroom window, Julie could see right up to the small stand of trees that separated the back of her property form another bend in the river. Her eyes scanned around, but there was no sign of anything unusual. Had it just been a bird? Was she seeing things? The longer she stared at the empty scene, the more foolish she felt for scaring her friends.

 

Her attention caught on something as she began to turn around. The forest around her was completely silent. She couldn’t even hear the chirping of the crickets. Julie knew what this meant. Prey went quiet when predators were about.

 

Julie’s grip on her sword hilt tightened. She began backing out the way she’d come, her eyes scanning the trees for any disturbance. Why was her own backyard making her so tense?

 

She made it back to her front door unaccosted, but she made double sure to lock it behind her as she came back into the house.

 

“Hon? Is everything okay?” Penny asked. “You’re starting to worry us.”

 

Julie set her sword on its stand above the fire. She tried to shake off her nerves as she drew the curtains to the kitchen window. Just in case.

 

“Everything’s fine, I just thought I saw something at the window. I can’t find anything out of place, it might just be my paranoia getting the better of me.”

 

Penny looked concerned, but she motioned for Julie to rejoin them at the table. Julie did so, and did her best to put on a disarming face.

 

“It’s nothing, really. Probably just a bird or something. Let’s get to the food!”

 

They ate in silence for a while, Julie occasionally stealing glances at the covered window. Penny caught her eye and they shared a look. After a year of living together, they could read each other’s emotions without a word. Penny could see that something was bothering Julie, but Julie nonverbally agreed to talk to her about it later. Penny nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.  Whatever was going on, they would deal with it together.

 

When Julie’s bowl was empty, she got up for seconds. She loved eating Penny’s cooking, and the taste of home was helping to settle her nerves. With a belly full of hot food, it was easier to relax.

 

The clock struck ten. The evening had really flown by. Leah glanced at the door anxiously, anticipating her walk home. Julie placed a hand on Penny’s shoulder and tilted her head in Leah’s direction. Penny nodded.

 

“Leah, would you like to stay over for the night? You can crash on the couch. We’d rather send you home in the daylight.”

 

Leah nodded, a grateful look on her face.

 

“I appreciate it. That sounds good to me, so long as I’m not intruding.”

 

“Not at all!” Penny said. “You’re a friend, and we want you to be safe.”

 

Leah smiled.

 

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

Penny returned the smile.

 

“Of course!”

 

They set about busting out an extra blanket and pillow for Leah, laying them down at the end of the couch in the living room. The three women sat on the couch, Leah with a blanket draped  over her shoulders and Julie with Penny draped over hers. They watched a re-run of a nature program that taught its viewers to forage for wild goods in the forest.

 

Eventually, Penny began to yawn. She stretched her arms over her head and wrapped them around Julie’s neck.

 

“I think I’m going to head to bed pretty soon. I woke up early this morning and I am tired as tired can be.”

 

She looked at Julie.

 

“Care to join me?”

 

It was getting late, and Julie’s nerves were shot. Sleep and cuddles sounded wonderful. However, she saw the anxious expression on Leah’s face and decided that sleep could wait a few more minutes. Julie wanted to make sure that she was okay.

 

“I’m just about ready to sleep. Give me ten minutes or so to get Leah set up.”

 

“Okie doke! In such case I think I’ll take a quick shower before bed. See you in a few?”

 

Julie leaned forward and gave her girlfriend a kiss.

 

“Sounds like a plan. Love you!”

 

“Love you, too!”

 

Penny yawned again and headed back into the bathroom. Julie heard the water turn on. She turned to Leah.

 

“Interesting night so far.” Julie said. “Let’s hope it doesn’t continue on that way.”

 

Leah chuckled and drew the blanket around herself.

 

“Agreed. I could use a break from all the ‘interesting’ things that have been happening lately.”

 

Julie’s brow furrowed.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Leah looked around and scooted a little closer to Julie.

 

“Things have been happening recently. I can’t explain it, but there’s something wrong. Being alone in my house feels weird. Things don’t stay where I leave them. My furniture will move an inch or two by itself. It feels like someone else has been in my house.”

 

Julie didn’t like the sound of this at all. She was versed in the supernatural, but she didn’t have an explanation readily available.

 

“Tomorrow, after I walk you home, would you mind if I came in and took a look around the place?”

 

“Not at all! It would do my mind some good to have someone check it out. I just hope I’m not getting worked up over nothing.”

 

Julie laughed without much humor.

 

“Better nothing than something.”

 

They were quiet a moment. Leah yawned and stretched. Julie looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. Julie stood up.

 

“I’ll let you get some sleep. You’ve had a long night.”

 

Julie walked around the couch and clicked the kitchen light off. The fireplace embers glowed softly, casting shadows across their faces.

 

“Oh, one more thing.” 

 

Julie said as she paused in front of her bedroom door. She thought of how quiet the forest was. How still everything had become.

 

“Don’t go outside.”

 

She looked Leah in the eye, unblinking. Leah nodded solemnly. Julie nodded back and pushed open her bedroom door.

 

“Goodnight, Leah.”

 

“Goodnight, Julie.”

 

Julie got ready for her bed in her usual fashion; Stripping down to her underwear and throwing on a comfortable T-shirt. Penny came in a few minutes later, her hair and body wrapped in towels. She dried off properly and made sure the bedroom door was closed before dropping the towels and sitting down on the edge of the bed. She motioned for Julie to scoot closer. Julie did so, laying her head across Penny’s lap and looking up at the ceiling.

 

Penny’s skin was cool to the touch, and she smelled lightly of cedar and palmwood. Julie recognized the smell. A fragrance of soap that Leah had made for the two of them as a housewarming present when Julie and Penny had moved in together the year before. Julie closed her eyes and breathed in the scent. Penny began gently running her finger through Julie’s hair. It soothed her nerves.

 

“Penny?”

 

Julie spoke up softly.

 

“Yes, dear?”

 

Julie paused for a moment, unsure of how to give voice to her feelings.

 

“Do you feel safe here?

 

Penny thought about it a moment.

 

“Here on the farm? Absolutely. Why do you ask?”

 

“I don’t know. I’ve done my best to leave my days as a beast hunter behind, but I worry that I still attract trouble. I just… I invited you to live with me, and I want to make sure the home I’ve made for us is well-protected.”

 

Julie propped herself up on an elbow to look at Penny more effectively.

 

“It may be paranoia talking, but it seems like everyone’s on edge. Earlier, right before I ran into Leah, I could have sworn I felt something watching me from the forest. And then there was a moment out back that I thought I sensed something nearby. It could be that I’m just jumping at shadows, but the idea that there’s something out there I can’t see bothers me.”

 

Penny rubbed Julie’s shoulders in a comforting fashion.

 

“I’m sorry this has you so frazzled. If you want my opinion, you do a wonderful job making this place feel secure. I’ve never once felt unsafe here, and I feel so protected and cared for when you and I are close together. These last few seasons have been some of the best of my life, and I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.”

 

Penny placed a hand gently on Julie’s cheek and looked her in the eye.

 

“Whatever happens, we’ll have each other. That’s enough for me.” 

 

Julie smiled.

 

“We will. Thank you, I think I needed to hear that.”

 

“That’s what I’m here for!”

 

The two began to drift closer to one another. Julie spoke up.

 

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

 

“Nor could I. Now come here, you.”

 

Penny pulled her into a kiss, soft and sweet. The kiss became firmer, and Julie draped her arms around Penny’s neck for support. Penny responded to this by flopping back on the bed, bringing Julie with her. Julie let out an exclamation of surprise, but went along with it gladly. The two realigned and locked lips again, holding each other close.

 

“Would you like something to keep your mind off things?”

 

Julie felt Penny’s hands begin to roam. Penny bit down on Julie’s lower lip and pulled back an inch or two before releasing it. Julie let out a soft moan.

 

Penny fixed her with a sultry gaze.

 

“I’m ready if you are.” Penny whispered. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.” 

 

It was a sorely tempting offer. Julie felt one of Penny’s legs wrap around hers. Julie’s head was spinning, and any other night she would have gladly indulged her partner. However, Leah was still in the front room, and she was probably still freaked out. It felt just a bit weird.

 

“I… Don’t think I’m up for it tonight, hon.”

 

Penny ceased her wanderings and brought her hands up to lightly run through Julie’s hair. She gave Julie another long kiss before laying her head down on the pillow.

 

“That’s absolutely fine.”

 

Julie kissed her forehead and snuggled close.

 

“Thank you for understanding. It’s just been a weird night, y’know?”

 

Penny drew the blanket over the two of them and reached over to turn off the lamp on their bedside table. This accomplished, she stretched out like a cat and wrapped around Julie for warmth.

 

“Of course, dear. You’re always allowed to say ‘no’.”

 

She turned to give Julie one last kiss before retiring.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Julie said it softly, as she often did. It was a frequent enough statement around the house now that she and Penny were living together, but Julie meant it every time she said it. It scared her sometimes how easily it came to her. Penny was something special.

 

“Goodnight,  _ kochanie.” _

 

Julie said, curling her arm around Penny’s waist.

 

“Goodnight, darling.”

 

Penny said in between yawns.

 

They lay there in the darkness a long time, Julie breathing slowly and trying to forget the unsettling events of the evening. With Penny nearby, it was much easier to relax. Still, though she hovered near the edge of unconsciousness at several points, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

 

After over an hour of trying her best to drift off, Julie heard something break the silence. The sound was faint, and at first she was unsure she’d heard anything at all. However, after a few seconds of silence, she heard it again, this time louder. 

 

Julie sat up in bed, careful not to wake Penny. The scraping sounds continued as Julie climbed slowly off of the mattress. She draped the blanket back over Penny and crept across the room to the laundry basket in the corner, where she pulled on a pair of pants and threw on a jacket. This accomplished, she slowly and carefully pulled open the top drawer of her dresser. From within,  she retrieved her knife. Just in case.

 

She could still hear the strange sound. Julie went to the window and peeked out, steeling herself in preparation for any number of ghoulish things. She saw nothing but darkness.

 

Julie did her best to slide the window open without making a sound. She only got it open an inch or two, but that was enough. She could make out the sound more clearly now, and it appeared to be coming from the back of the house. It sounded like something scraping against wood.

 

That decided it. She was going to investigate.


	2. Creep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie investigates strange happenings around the farm.

Julie opened the bedroom door slowly and stepped out into the short hall that separated the bedroom from the living room. The floorboards creaked ever so slightly under her weight, and she felt herself flinch every time she heard the noise. The scraping sound continued, louder now.

 

The fire had burned itself out, and the living room was in darkness. Julie felt her way down the hall by placing her hand on the wall and walking forward cautiously so as to not knock anything over. Slowly, ever so slowly, she advanced. She reached the living room and stood there in the threshold for a moment, listening. From the couch, she could hear the rise and fall of Leah’s breath. Julie didn’t want to wake her, especially not in the dead of night with a hunting knife in her hand. It sent the wrong message.

 

Julie crept forward, advancing toward the kitchen. The noise got louder as she progressed, coming more and more frequently. Then all once, it stopped. Julie placed her hand on the wall where she’d heard the sound. She felt nothing.

 

Her eyes went to the window. The curtains were still drawn, but they fluttered just a bit in the breeze. Was the window open?

 

Julie reached forward with a shaky hand and pulled the curtains open. The window was indeed open, and Julie could see right out into the forest. Faint moonlight bathed the back of her property in an eerie glow, barely highlighting the shapes of trees against the starry sky. Julie’s eyes scanned the treeline for anything out of the ordinary. She leaned forward so she could see out of the window better.

 

“Julie?”

 

She heard a sleepy voice behind her. Julie wheeled around to find Leah sitting up on the couch, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Julie set her knife down on the counter and held up her hands.

 

“It’s me.” Julie whispered. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

 

Leah shook her head and rubbed sleep from her eyes.

 

“No, you didn’t. I was just getting up to go to the bathroom. Is everything okay?”

 

“Everything’s fine, I just thought I heard a noise.”

 

Leah’s face lost some color.

 

“You can hear it too?”

 

This wasn’t a good sign.

 

“I thought it was just me!” Leah said, looking around anxiously. “I’ve been hearing weird noises all week, so I figured it was all in my head.”

 

“I’m not sure if this is comforting or not, but I hear it too. I don’t know what’s causing it, but I’m checking it out at first light.”

 

Julie pricked up her ears, listening for the sound. She heard nothing.

 

“Okay. For now, it seems to have stopped.”

 

“For now? What if it comes back? What if it’s something dangerous?”

 

Julie’s eyes went to her sword, hung up on the wall over the fireplace. She prayed to her Goddess that she would have no need of it this night.

 

“If it’s dangerous, I’ll deal with it.”

 

Leah eyed the kitchen window.

 

“Please tell me you aren’t going out there.”

 

Julie shook her head. In truth, she wasn’t sure she’d be up for a fight, especially in the dark. She was rusty, if she was honest. Save for her weekly training routines, she seldom had reason to  touch her blade these days. It had been months since there’d been anything resembling an incident in Pelican Town. (The closest to trouble the town had seen came in the form of a pack of rambunctious green slimes that had escaped the mines beneath town.) 

 

It wasn’t as though she had shirked her Hunter’s duties. She had simply found other means of occupying her time. In recent days, she had traded the blade for the plow, tending to her fields and harvesting all manner of crops to pay for her house expansion. It was a good life. She didn’t like the idea of going back to her old job one bit.

 

“No, no… I’m not going outside. Not until morning, anyway.  For now, I think I’m going to make some coffee. It’s going to be a long night.”

 

Julie went back to the kitchen, flicked on the light above the sink, and began prepping a fresh pot.

 

“Mind if I join you?” Leah asked, treading into the kitchen with a blanket around her shoulders. “I don’t think I’ll be sleeping anytime soon.”

 

“Not at all.” Julie responded. “By all means, pull up a chair.”

 

Leah did so, sitting in it backwards so she could lean on the back. Julie got the coffee pot percolating and leaned up against her kitchen counter, yawning. She wasn’t sleepy, but she was definitely tired.

 

She and Leah didn’t talk much while they waited for the coffee. Julie remembered the open window and went to shut it. She hesitated before pulling open the curtains. Surely she was just being paranoid. Nothing was waiting on the other side.

 

Unless, of course, something was.

Julie shut the window anyway. She told herself it was to avoid letting insects into the house, but some part of her knew she was still a bit rattled. She hesitated a moment before pulling the latch that locked the window in place. 

 

The coffee was ready. Julie retrieved two mugs from the cabinet and filled them up most of the way. Julie handed one of the mugs to Leah, who accepted it gratefully.

 

“Cream and sugar?”

 

Julie asked.

 

“Cream, please.”

 

Julie fetched some from the refrigerator and poured some into her own mug before setting it next to Leah’s mug on the table.

 

They spoke little as the hours unwound. Julie sipped from her mug and occasionally leaned back in her chair. She was beginning to get a headache, but she was staying alert. When her coffee was gone, she refilled it and kept sipping, leaning onto the table like a barfly at last call.

 

Leah retrieved a tiny flip notebook from her pocket and asked Julie if she could borrow a pencil. Julie didn’t have one immediately available, but she was certain that Penny kept them around the house somewhere. After a good ten minutes of searching (most of which was spent staring at their houseplant) Julie procured a set of pencils and handed them over.

 

“Thank you.” Leah said. “I like to sketch when I’m stressed.”

 

She flipped open the notepad to a blank page and pressed the eraser end of her pencil to her lip, deep in thought.

 

Julie sipped her coffee and let her mind drift. She thought about the long nights Penny had stayed up with her just to keep her company when she was in a lowly state. She thought about Maru in her house in the mountains; how kind and supportive she was. She thought of how much brighter things were now that she had people to share her life with. She was tired, so tired, but she smiled to herself.

 

She felt something brush up against her leg. Before she could even look down, Bast had leapt up into her lap looking for affection. Julie pet the cat absentmindedly as she stared off into the middle-distance that was her closed window. Leah worked on her sketch, scratching at the little pad with enthusiasm.

 

An hour passed. Two. Julie hovered near the edge of dozing off, the comforting presence of her animal companion allowing her to relax a bit more. Several times, she closed her eyes for what felt like a few seconds only to find that a quarter of an hour had passed. She rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn.

 

Strange thoughts on this early Fall morning. Ruminations on the undertones of unease that had run through the entire night. Leah’s strange happenings around the house, her own creeping certainty that something had been with them in the forest, the scraping sound coming from outside... She felt as though she was grasping at straws, but some part of her also worried she was onto something.

 

It certainly didn’t help that the Spirit’s Eve festival loomed on the horizon like a retreating tide. The town would begin preparing for the festival in just three days, and with it came a certain tradition. As midnight drew near, the Mayor and just about every land-owning adult in town would retreat briefly to the cover of the Cindersap Forest to sacrifice a goat under the moonlight.

 

It wasn’t as bad as it sounded, but only by a bit.

 

The coming of Spirit’s Eve always left Julie a bit jumpy. The town went about their offerings in the most humane way possible, but a goat sacrifice is a goat sacrifice. They claimed that the rituals kept the harvests bountiful and the water full of fish. Julie, who had lived off the land for quite some time before she had begun to farm, could hardly protest their effectiveness. Still, Julie knew firsthand how dangerous dabbling in the occult was, and each year she contrived excuses to be as far away from the ritual as she could be when the time came. Her first year in town, she had simply stayed home and gotten an early night. The year prior, she had convinced Maru and Penny to stay at Maru’s and watch scary movies instead. This year, she had promised the two of them she would attend so they could brave the ‘Haunted Maze’ together.

 

Julie closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. She leaned back in her chair and rested her legs on the table. By the sound of scratching and scribbling, she figured Leah was still lost in her drawing. She listened for the mysterious sound outside, but could detect nothing out of the ordinary. She was beginning to relax.

 

“Julie?”

 

It was Leah. Julie opened her eyes and let out a yawn.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I just… wanted to thank you for staying up with me. You know you don’t have to, right?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“I do. It’s no trouble at all. You’re a friend, and if you ever feel unsafe at home you’re welcome here.”

 

Leah set her notepad down on the table. Julie didn’t like being nosy, but curiosity bid her to steal a glance at what Leah was drawing.

 

It was her, leaned back in a chair with her eyes closed. Over her shoulder was the kitchen window, and a large moon loomed in the night sky. The sketch was incredibly detailed, and Julie let out a low whistle of appreciation.

 

“Wow. Leah, this is really good!”

 

“Thank you! I hope you don’t mind that I used you as a model.”

 

“Not at all! I’m always happy to support the arts.”

 

Julie pulled the notepad towards her so she could see the details better.  A few wisps of hair fell in sketch-Julie’s face, but a slight smile played across her lips. She looked content. Happy.

 

“Do you want to hold onto it? We can consider it thanks for letting me stay here.”

 

“Sure! That would be lovely. I’ll show it to Penny in the morning, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

 

Leah’s face went just a little pink.

 

“It’s yours, then!”

 

Leah carefully pulled the page out of the notepad and handed it to Julie. Julie accepted it and looked at it a few seconds more. The likeness was a little uncanny, but Julie respected the artistry. She set the picture down on the table and returned to sipping her beverage.

 

Julie drank two more cups of coffee before dawn, and by the time weak sunlight began to filter through Julie’s curtains she was as wired as lightning bolt on rails. Leah had turned down more coffee after her first cup, and she looked as though she was beginning to doze.

 

Julie stood up and shook her head to clear it. She had to wait a little longer until she could rest. Quietly, she went and retrieved her knife from the kitchen counter. This accomplished, Julie padded over to the front door and opened it.

 

Her tired eyes recoiled at the sudden influx of natural light. She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, her vision slowly adjusting to the early morning light. A few fluffy clouds dotted the brilliant blue sky and a flock of birds soared overhead. It was a lovely sight, but one that Julie’s eyes were currently protesting.

 

Blinking hard, she stepped off of her porch and walked slowly around the side of the house. As she walked, she drew her knife from its sheath. She didn’t know what to expect, but she would be ready for it.

 

At least, she hoped so.

 

Julie paused at the end of the sideyard, taking a deep breath and steeling herself. She scolded herself for feeling jittery and prepared to look.

 

“One… Two…” Julie whispered to herself. “Three.”

 

She rounded the corner brandishing her knife, only to find the backyard as vacant and peaceful as the front. She advanced and walked toward the kitchen window, where she had heard the sound. 

 

She stopped. Just under the window,  a symbol was carved into the back of her house. She felt her blood turn to ice.

 

The symbol was simple, consisting of a long vertical line with two small ‘v’ shapes coming off of the sides. It almost looked like a key, or a trident. Julie recognized it, crudely carved as it was. There could be no mistaking it: The mark of the Hunters.

 

Julie stared at the mark on the wall, frozen. How had it gotten here? She supposed she now understood where the scraping noise had come from, but she had no clue as to who would do such a thing. Or indeed, who would even know about the mark to begin with?

 

Julie looked at the forest all around her, suddenly feeling as though there were eyes on her. She began to back away the way she’d come, waiting for something terrible to spring out of the bushes.

 

 

She made it back to the front porch unaccosted, however. Julie stood on the steps, lost in thought. She was tired and stiff and unsettled, and she was beginning to regret staying awake. There was too much to think about. 

 

Damn it all. This was just what she needed. Mystery and intrigue were all well and good, but Julie would much prefer a problem she could make sense of. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was creepy bullshit.

 

Julie opened her front door to find Leah standing in the kitchen, pouring herself the last dregs of the coffee pot. Julie did her best to hide how rattled she was. No need to scare Leah. Not yet, anyway.

 

“Hey. You ready to head home?”

 

Julie asked.

 

“Yeah, I really need to sleep.”

 

Leah looked at her coffee for a moment before downing it in one gulp. Julie was mildly impressed.

 

“Ack, that’s bitter! Alright, let’s get going.”

 

The two women made their way out into the sunlight. The river babbled nearby, and the air was alive with the singing of birds.

 

“Lovely day.” Leah said. “Shame I’ll probably spend most of it asleep.”

 

“Nothing wrong with that.” Julie responded as they started to walk. “I’ll most likely be doing the same. Sometimes you gotta recharge.”

 

They walked across the plank bridge that allowed them to cross to the southern bank. From there, they wound their way down the forest path. Julie spotted several wild plums growing on the shorter trees, and made a mental note to gather a few on her way back home.

 

Soon Marnie’s ranch was in sight. A short distance away, on the edge of the lake, was the cottage that Leah called home. As they approached, Leah could see a carved jack-o-lantern sitting out front as well as multiple kinds of mushroom sprouting from the window box.

 

Leah pulled a small key from her pocket and unlocked the front door.

 

“Come on in!” Leah said. “I’m not really sure that there’s much to show you, but I think I’d feel better if you had a look around.”

 

Julie nodded and walked inside.

 

“No problem.”

 

Julie looked intently around the place. It was a little larger than her house had been back when she got it, boasting a fireplace, a bed, a dining room, and several different artistic workstations, each cluttered with assorted objects. Julie didn’t even know where to begin in terms of searching the cottage for something out of place. However, the moment she crossed the threshold, Julie felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. Julie didn’t profess to be a medium, but she was certain she felt something. What it was, she couldn’t say. She became again aware of an intense feeling of being observed.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Julie walked around the room matter-of-factly, attempting to preserve some notion of looking like she knew what she was doing. She studied the walls, the various canvases, even the telephone, before reporting back to Leah.

 

“Yup. Shit’s haunted.”

 

Leah looked as though she couldn’t tell if Julie was kidding or not. Julie sighed and looked for more eloquent words.

 

“There’s definitely some kind of presence here. I’m not sure if it’s malevolent or not, but you may want to burn some sage in here just to be safe.”

 

Leah nodded, going to her herb cabinet.

 

“Sage, sage… Cilantro? No. I’m sure I had some in here.”

 

“If you don’t have any, I can bring some by.” Julie offered. “We have plenty.”

 

Leah closed the cabinet and gave Julie a grateful look.

 

“I would appreciate that greatly. How will burning sage help?”

 

“It’s what you might call a ‘cleansing’ ritual. If there is something lingering around here, the sage should help drive it off.”

 

Leah nodded as though she understood.

 

“Alright. If you could spare some, I’d be very grateful.”

 

“Of course!” Julie said. “Penny has been cultivating an herb garden, so we’ve got plenty. I’ll bring some by tomorrow morning.”

 

“Thank you, Julie. You’re a good friend.”

 

“I try.”

 

Julie cast another glance around the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Her eyes caught on a drawing, half concealed by a stack of others.

 

“Leah? Can I see that picture there?”

 

Julie pointed to it. Leah grimaced and held up the sketch.

 

The scene was Leah’s own house. Julie could see the same easel and bedframe across the room. The window near the bed was open, and on the other side there stood a shadowy figure.

 

The silhouette was human-sized, but from the face there protruded a long beak. It stared into the room with empty, black eyes. Julie shuddered.

 

“I drew this a few days ago.” Leah said. “I had the most horrible nightmare, and the only way to get it out of my head was to sketch it.”

 

Julie stared into the empty eye sockets of the sketch. It seemed to stare back. The longer she stared at it the more horrible it looked. 

 

“Do you remember the nightmare?”

 

Leah looked a bit troubled, but she nodded.

 

“I dreamt that this… Thing was looking in on me as I sculpted. It disappeared when I looked directly at it, but I could see it out of the corner of my eye. It waited there for the longest time, not doing anything. Just staring with those awful eyes.”

 

Julie shuddered.

 

“Did anything else happen?”

 

Julie asked, her nerves on edge.

 

Leah nodded slowly.

 

“There was a crash. The lights went out, and I heard glass breaking. That’s when I woke up.”

 

“Goddess… That sounds terrible. I hope you are granted more peace in the future.”

 

 

There was something her brain just wasn’t connecting. She was too tired, too burnt-out. She needed sleep.

 

“I wish I had more to give you.” Julie said with a sigh. “If there is something lingering here, burning sage should cause it to leave.”

“What if that doesn’t work?” 

 

Leah asked. Julie hesitated.

 

“If that doesn’t work… Then I’ll figure out what it is and we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

 

She did her best to sound confident. Leah couldn’t know how unsure she felt. Julie silently prayed to the Goddess and asked her to watch over Leah.

 

“Okay!” Leah looked relieved. “That sound like a plan.”

 

Julie felt her eyes straining to stay open.

 

“For now, I’m afraid I have to take my leave. I need to get home.”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“Of course. Thank you so much for coming with me and taking me seriously. I was a little worried that I was going crazy.”

 

Julie gave her a hug. She knew how that felt.

 

“It was no trouble at all. Call me if anything else happens, alright?”

 

“Can do!”

 

Leah opened the door and Julie walked back out into the blinding sunshine.

 

“See you around, Leah.”

 

“See you!

 

Julie began her walk home, slowly going from a walk to a stagger. She listened to the song of the birds, the only sound aside from her tired footfalls. Her head was pounding and her eyes could  hardly stand the sunshine, but she eventually found her way home. When she arrived at her door, she pulled it open and went inside, making sure to lock the door behind her.

 

The house was dim, the curtains all drawn. Julie stumbled through the living room, bumping up against the couch and swearing quietly. As she stood there rubbing her shin, she heard something dart across the floor. She hopped on one foot and rotated herself to look at the noise. There was no sign of movement save the clattering of Bast’s food bowl. It was just the cat.

 

She needed to stop jumping at shadows. She was in her own home. Julie stood up on both legs and limped her way down the hall. She slowly pulled open the bedroom door.

 

Penny was still asleep, sprawled out across her side of the bed and holding the blanket close to her chest. Julie shut the door behind her and disrobed as quietly as she could, leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor. She would do laundry later.

 

Carefully so as not to disturb Penny, Julie pulled back the blanket and crawled under the covers, sidling up behind her partner. She had made it home. She was safe, at least for now. At last, she could rest.

 

Julie held Penny close, wrapping an arm around her as she stirred in her sleep. Despite the ominous undertones at Leah’s and her long night, Julie managed a smile. Another day survived.

 

She closed her eyes. Leah was safe at home. Penny was safe at home. She counted her blessings as she began to drift into the foggy mists of unconsciousness.

 

Tomorrow, she would go and see Maru to get her perspective on things. Surely science could help her with her ghost problem.

 

Tomorrow. Now was the time for rest.


	3. Into the Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie and Penny visit Maru. Julie mulls over some important quandries.

Julie dreamt that she stood on the beach at the southernmost end of town. White sand stretched on in either direction, dazzling Julie with reflected sunlight. She held up a hand to shield her eyes. 

Something darted behind her, and she wheeled around only to be met with more glare. She shaded her eyes and squinted all around, but she couldn’t see anything.

The tide rushed by her bare feet, dousing them in cool water. It was a relief after standing on the burning sand.

Another flicker of movement, this time from the direction of the ocean. Julie’s hand went to her belt but she found nothing. No sword. No knife. Her hands rooted around in her pockets. Empty.

The tide rolled out again, leaving Julie standing on wet sand. As she watched the waves roll in, she felt herself beginning to sink. She tried to raise her foot, but the sand acted as a vacuum, holding her in  
place. She tried to stand her ground, but the sand under her feet eroded faster than she could find purchase. The waves were getting taller. The tide was coming in. She was sinking. Far away, under the rising swell of the water, Julie saw a dark figure floating. Feathers, a long beak. It was looking in her direction.

She heard her name being called. The voice sounded far-off, but familiar. Julie strained her muscles against the wet pull of the sand, searching for the source.

“Julie!” The voice called again. “Julie!”

She managed to break momentarily free and saw Penny, standing on the shore. Julie reached for her over the seemingly impossible distance that came between them. Julie felt the tide pulling her out to sea, sweeping her off of her feet as she tried to retain balance. As she slipped under the water’s surface, she felt a hand close around hers.

Julie woke up drenched in sweat. She gasped in a lungful of air and looked around frantically, still expecting to be set upon by a wall of water. It took her a few moments to realize that she was home in bed. She laid her head down on her pillow, damp and cool with sweat. 

She was home. She was safe. Julie tried to steady her breathing as she shook off the wave of panic and anxiety that usually accompanied waking up from a nightmare. She looked to the other side of the bed and found no one. Penny must be awake and about.

Julie looked at the small digital clock they kept on their nightstand. It was just past five in the afternoon. Julie let out a groan and massaged her temples. She had just woken up, but she already felt tired.

“Pen?”

She called out to the empty hallway. She got no response.

Julie stretched out and closed her eyes, briefly considering going back to sleep. She looked at the clock again. No. There were things to be done today.

Julie swung her feet out of bed and stood up with a series of pops and cracks. She placed a hand to the base of her spine and pushed as she twisted around. Another round of cracks. When had her bones  
gotten so old?

She dressed with the vigor of a tranquilized sloth. It was still strange to have multiple outfits to choose from. Emily had done a spectacular job designing her garments, and Julie had spent more than 2,000  
gold on clothing commissions alone. She donned a pair of shorts, a tank top, and a light overshirt before examining her reflection in the mirror. She was excited to note that she had mostly gained back the weight she’d lost during her time as a Hunter. It certainly helped to have a live-in partner. Having Penny around prevented Julie from subsisting on bread and coffee alone.

Satisfied with her look, Julie yawned and made for the kitchen. 

When she entered the kitchen, Penny was still nowhere to be found. Julie started her coffee and impatiently waited for it to finish brewing. By the time she finished fixing her cup, the quiet was beginning to get to her.

“Penny?”

Again, no response.

Julie felt something warm touch her feet and she nearly leapt out of her skin before realizing it was Bast.

The little cat wound its way around her legs, purring and meowing.  
Julie looked to the window above the sink. With determination, she pulled aside the curtains, blinking and squinting at the sudden flare of light. Once her eyes had adjusted, she could see out into the back. The late afternoon sunlight filtered softly through the trees, throwing her property into sharp relief. She could see all the way to the other side of the river.

Nothing to worry about. Yet.

Bast leapt up onto the windowsill and meowed insistently.

“Mrow.”

“What’s that, girl? You want out?”

“Mrow!”

“Okay, okay, just a second.”

Julie went to undo the window latch, but it was already unlocked. Julie frowned, trying to remember. Hadn’t she locked the window last night?

Julie opened the window and Bast was out into the sunlight. As the cat trotted over to her water bowl, Julie turned away from the window and sipped her coffee.  
Beverage finished, Julie went to the front door and laced up her walking shoes. She felt unusually tense for some reason, casting nervous glances around the room as her fingers went to work. This accomplished, Julie pulled open the door and stepped out into the light.

When she stepped out onto her porch, she caught sight of Penny. She was in the garden, watering the pumpkins. Julie felt her anxiety subside. Everything was fine, at least for now.  
Penny saw Julie standing on the porch and waved, setting the can down.

“Heya, sleepyhead! Look who’s finally awake!”

Julie smiled and walked toward the garden. She felt much better now that she wasn’t alone. The knot of panic she’d woken up with was finally letting up.

“How are you feeling?” Penny asked.

“Still a little dead, but I’m better than I was this morning.”

“I’ll say!” Penny responded. “I tried waking you up for breakfast but you were out like a light. I figured it was best to let you rest.”

She reached Julie and planted a kiss on her.

“It’s good to have you back in the land of the living! You give yourself some time to wake up and I’ll finish watering.”

Penny picked up the watering can and resumed tending to the pumpkins. Julie watched her work with a smile. The garden had originally been Julie’s pet project, but it turned out that Penny had quite the green thumb. They took care of the plants in turns, and the pumpkins were coming along fantastically. At the rate they were growing, they would be all set for the Spirit’s Eve festival. It seemed that half the town had asked her for pumpkins to carve. 

Julie looked from her partner tending to their garden to the glorious blue sky overhead. It was quite a time to be alive. Julie took a deep breath and a smile came to her face.  
Penny leaned over to reach the back row of pumpkins. Julie watched her work, her gaze lingering in several spots. Penny was dressed in faded jeans and a t-shirt spattered with the paint they’d used to paint their bedroom. She looked radiant.

Penny caught her looking and jokingly wagged a finger at her.

“What are you staring at?” 

She asked coyly. Julie let her gaze run over Penny again.

“Oh, you know. Just admiring the view.”

Penny blushed.

“You’re going to rot my teeth, you’re so sweet.”

She set down the can and strolled over to Julie. Julie wrapped her arms around Penny and held her there for a moment, breathing in the floral scent of Penny’s deodorant and marveling at how fortunate she was. 

This life was something she couldn’t have dreamt up in her wildest fantasies. She was healthy, she was alive, and she had found someone to share her new life with. Gone were the days of massacring plague-ridden villagers. Gone were the endless nights spent on the run. In their wake, Julie had somehow found something worth holding onto.  
Their relationship was one of mutual respect and trust. The former came easily, but it never ceased to amaze her how much of the latter she had to offer. She trusted Penny to be there for her, as she often had to be. When Julie’s nightmares got the better of her, Penny would stay up with her and hold her while she wept. It was a very special kind of trust. A kind of closeness she hadn’t felt in years, perhaps in her entire life.

This… She wanted to keep this forever.

Looking at her beloved in the sunlight, paint splatters and all, something clicked in Julie’s head. In a rush of affection, she put her hands to Penny’s waist and lifted her off of her feet, spinning her around. She let out a yelp of surprise followed by a giggle of delight. Julie planted her feet back on the ground and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. Penny went along gladly, her face flushing with red.

“Well, hello there!” Penny said in between bouts of laughter. “You’re extra affectionate today!”

Julie smiled at her.

“Oh, don’t mind me. Every once in a while it hits me just how lucky I am.”

Penny beamed.

“I can say the same.” She said softly.

They embraced again before parting. Julie lived for the little moments of closeness they had, and she felt the anxiety of the long night before washing away like sand in the tide. Julie picked up the watering can and finished the last of the garden work while Penny went inside to fix herself a cold drink. Julie stood on the cobblestone path, looking over her pumpkin patch with pride.

It occurred to her that evening was rapidly approaching. She still had errands to run.

Julie poked her head inside the house and found Penny relaxing on the couch with a glass of lemonade in her hand.

“Hon?” Julie called. “I’m heading to Maru’s. Do you want to come with?”

“That sounds nice! We can firm up our plans for Saturday! You mind waiting around a few minutes so I can get changed?”

“Not at all.”

Penny disappeared into the bedroom for a few minutes before returning in her yellow blouse/orange skirt combo, complete with leggings to ward off the fall chill.

“Ready when you are!”

They walked out into the sunshine and Julie made sure to lock the door behind them. Hand in hand, they crossed the bridge to the north and made their way towards the mountains. As they walked, Julie took in the natural splendor of Fall in the valley. The trees were a beautiful gradient of reds, yellows, and oranges. Windblown leaves dotted the path and crunched underfoot. They traversed a hill that overlooked the only paved road in town. In the distance, Julie could see the derelict town bus.

The sun sank lower in the sky, beginning to sink behind the mountains. The sky was a deep burnt orange by the time they knocked on Maru’s front door.

Robin answered the door, her carpenter’s apron still on.

“Why, hello you two! To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Is Maru home?” Julie asked. “We wanted to discuss our plans for the festival.”

“She is! Come in, come in.”

Julie wiped her shoes on the mat outside and stepped into Maru’s house.

The place was decorated, with no less than three miniature jack-o-lanterns adorning Robin’s storefront. (Where Robin had gotten the pumpkins, Julie didn’t know. As far as she was aware, she was the only pumpkin game in town.)

Julie and Penny waved hello to Demetrius as they passed his lab. He didn’t look up from his beaker, but he called out a cordial greeting. They made their way down the hall and knocked on Maru’s bedroom door.

Maru answered, her hair pulled back out of her face and smudges of machine grease on her overalls.

“Hello, lovebirds!” She backed up and let them step into the room. “What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“We wanted to figure out what the plan was for Saturday.” Julie swooped in and gave Maru a kiss. “Plus, I wanted to see you.”

Maru hugged her tight in her powerful arms. Julie never failed to appreciate how strong her embraces were.

“It’s good to see you too, sweetie. You as well, Penny! I feel like we haven’t seen each other at all this week.”

Penny and Maru shared an embrace of their own.

The three of them sat down on Maru’s bed.

“So, the festival proper starts at 10 PM.” Maru said. “There’ll be food, but it’s probably a good idea to eat beforehand so we have as much time to tackle the maze as possible.”

“Supposedly there’s a big prize on offer for anyone who can successfully navigate it.” Penny chimed in. “I don’t know what that entails, but I think if the three of us stick together we should have the best  
chance.”

“Do you guys want to come by around eight or so for dinner?” Maru asked. “I was going to make turkey burgers!”

“Sounds delicious!” 

Julie said. She was always on board for good food.

A thought nagged at the back of her mind.

“Honey, can I ask you a question?”

They exchanged amused looks and then turned back to Julie.

“Which one?”

They spoke in unison. Julie put her head in her hands and rubbed her temples. They loved making this particular joke.

“Both of you, actually. I wanted to ask about something. Could I borrow a pencil and something to write on?”

Maru went to her desk and got Julie a notepad and a pencil. Julie sketched out the Hunter’s mark, exactly as she’d seen it that morning.

“Does this symbol mean anything to you guys?”

She held up the notepad. Maru and Penny examined it for several seconds before shaking their heads. Julie felt a sinking sensation in her stomach.

“Why do you ask?”Maru asked. “Is something wrong?”

Julie hesitated before she spoke.

“I think there may be something going on. Last night was a bundle of weird happenings and this morning I found this mark carved into the back of our house. I was hoping it meant something different in this  
realm, but I think it’s the mark of the Hunters of Yharnam. I heard scratching around the back of the house last night. Someone or something was carving this into the wood.”

Her girlfriends looked at her with concern.

“That doesn’t sound good.” Maru said, furrowing her brow in thought. “Do you have any idea what might have put it there?”

Julie searched her brain. She could certainly think of people who might hold a grudge against her, but they were all dead.

“No idea.”

“Is there a possibility that it could be another Hunter?” Penny asked. “Someone who would recognize you?”

The thought was horrifying. Julie had first entered into the Stardew Valley via magical means that she didn’t entirely understand, but she supposed it was possible something had followed her through whatever dimensional passageway had deposited her here. That being said, any Hunters still living would almost certainly have gone mad after the fall of Yharnam.

The Hunters were a broken organization, dabbling in power they didn’t understand in exchange for a means of culling the beast population. Most of them had gone mad or turned into beasts themselves. The city burned under their watch. If there were any survivors… Julie shuddered. 

“I sure as hell hope not, though I suppose I can’t rule it out.”

The more she dwelled on the idea, the more it bothered her. Her first instinct had been that something supernatural was to blame, but the idea of another Hunter following her into the Valley was equally  
disturbing. Julie looked back to the girls and attempted to put on a non-worried face. 

“It could be nothing. It could be a morbid prank of some kind. I’m trying not to worry too much about it, but it’s been kind of freaking me out.”

Both Maru and Penny placed a hand on Julie’s back.

“We’ll figure it out.” Penny said. “I’m sure everything will be okay. I can do some research, maybe try to find out if that symbol means something different here.”

“”Thank you.” Julie said with a sigh. She looked back and forth from Maru to Penny. “I appreciate you two so much. Just so you know.”

They both wrapped their arms around her.

“We’re here to help.” Maru said. “Whatever you need.”

Julie looked back to her notepad. That mark was going to haunt her, she could feel it. Still, it was hard to feel worried with both of her partners so close. She put an arm around each of them and squeezed affectionately.

The conversation thankfully moved on to more pleasant topics. While Penny and Maru chatted about the festival and the maze, Julie tried to put the matter of the carving from her mind. 

“What do you suppose the big prize is?” Maru asked. “I’ve heard it’s something valuable.”

“It could be something magical in nature.” Julie said. “Isn’t the whole thing supposed to be set up by the shady wizard?”

“I’m not sure whether that sounds like a good thing or not.” said Penny. “I don’t necessarily trust him.”

“Yeah, there was that whole ‘having his familiar spy on me’ thing. I’m not super fond of him myself.”

Julie paused.

“Though I do suppose I owe him some degree of thanks. He’s the one that opened the way for me to cross over into this world. I would have never met you two otherwise.”

“Strange how things happen, isn’t it?” said Maru.

“Strange, indeed.”

They sat and chatted for a short while longer before Julie and Penny took their leave.

“It was nice seeing you guys!” Maru said as she walked them to the door. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately.”

Penny and Maru gave each other a parting hug, followed by Julie swooping in to give Maru a kiss. 

“I’ll see you two on Saturday!” Maru said as she opened the door for them. “Take care on your walk home. And Julie, let me know if there are any new developments.”

“Can do.” Julie said. “We’ll see you then.”

With that they were off, passing Maru’s house and taking the same trail they had come by. By the time they reached the hilltop that overlooked the highway, the sky was awash in blues and purples as the  
dying sunlight gave way to the first soft hues of night. They stopped to admire the view and Julie slipped her hand into Penny’s.

“You know, I never got used to how lovely the sunsets are here.” Said Julie, looking up at the blooming stars. “It makes me want to cry sometimes.”

Penny leaned her head on Julie’s shoulder.

“Doesn’t it just? I’m so thankful I get to see so many sunsets nowadays. There was never a great view from my trailer.”

Julie put an arm around Penny’s waist, taking in a lungful of cool evening air. She looked out across the forest, her eyes rolling over the sea of changing colors. How had she gotten here? Penny scooted as  
close to Julie as she could and nuzzled her head into Julie’s shoulder.

“Penny for your thoughts?” She asked.

Julie laughed.

“Oh, just thinking about the ocean. I haven’t been in ever so long.”

Penny fixed her with a look.

“Do you want to go now?”

Julie looked her. She had a playful spark in her eye.

“Like, now now?”

“Now now.”

It sounded like an adventure. Just the thing to preoccupy her mind for a while.

“Sure!”

They passed the general store, then the Saloon. They walked quietly, moving hand in hand through the twilit streets with a purpose. Soon they found themselves passing the graveyard, and Julie’s thoughts  
turned briefly to ghosts.

She knew ghosts existed here. Even before Leah’s spectral troubles, Julie had encountered the less-than-dearly departed deep in the pits of the mine. She had panicked and lost her sword. She resolved then and there that she would not lose her weapon again. She had yet to test if it worked on ghosts. She could hope.

The ground beneath their feet turned to sand. The air around them smelled of salt. Julie tried to focus on the crash of waves in the distance and the warmth of Penny’s hand in hers. It was getting a bit cold, but the two walked close together as they strolled along the beach.

They passed Elliot’s cabin, lights twinkling dimly behind curtains drawn against the cold. Across the beach stood the pier and Willy’s shop. Everyone was in tonight. They were all alone at the edge of the sea.

“Do you remember our first trip to the beach?” Penny asked, breaking the silence. “It feels like forever ago, doesn’t it?”

“Our first kiss.” Said Julie, thinking back warmly. “Oh, I remember.”

Penny giggled.

“I was so nervous, I almost missed!” She said with a laugh. “Thank the gods you knew what you were doing.”

“Ha! I might have had previous experience, but my brain was short-circuiting. I recall that was shortly after we found out about all the weird shit this town gets up to.”

“I’m so glad I had you to walk me through that, I don’t know how I would have coped if I’d somehow found out by myself.”

“Hey, I’m your resident spooky things encyclopedia. It’s the least I can do.”

Penny was quiet for a moment.

“Julie?”

“Hm?”

“I just wanted to say that I appreciate you. You’ve made my life so much more colorful.”

Julie was touched.

“And you’ve made mine much more stable. Thank you.”

Penny glowed despite the cold.

“I’d say we were meant to be.”

She fixed Julie with a warm smile. Julie couldn’t help smiling back.

Penny opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by the sound of a creaky wooden door swinging open.

“Penny? Is that you?”

Penny jumped and spun around. Julie turned to find Elliot poking his head out of his cabin’s doorway.

“Hey, Elliot.” Penny said. “We were just taking in the sight of the ocean, I hope we didn’t spook you.”

Now that she mentioned it, Elliot did seem tense. Julie didn’t know him terribly well, but she could tell he looked jumpy. His long hair was frazzled and he had bags under his eyes visible even in the dim light  
coming from his cabin.

“Is everything okay?” Julie asked.

Elliot looked all around and gestured for them to come closer. They obligingly took a few steps toward the cabin and Elliot began to whisper.

“I think my cabin might be haunted.” He said. “Things have been going missing and I swear that I can hear the floorboards creaking when I’m at my desk writing.”

Julie frowned. That sounded suspiciously like what was happening to Leah.

Julie kept this thought to herself, not knowing what the connection could be.

“It doesn’t help that Spirit’s Eve is coming up. With all the magical happenings going on, the spirits must be riled up something fierce.”

Julie muddled over his words in her head. What was she missing here?

“Anyway, I’m sorry to bring the conversation to such a ghastly place, I was just worried that you were an apparition when I first saw you. The firelight only stretches so sar, you know?”

“Don’t worry about it, I understand. I feel like everyone’s been on edge lately.”

Julie wanted to change gears away from ghosts.

“How have you been, otherwise?”

Elliot’s expression shifted.

“Oh, things have been good. Making good headway on my novel, learning to fish, and I see Ricardo once in a while. Things have been a bit tight financially, but what else is new?”

Julie looked around the room and noticed that Elliot’s empty pantry stood open, swaying back and forth in the breeze coming in through the cracked window. An idea came to her.

“Hey, Elliot?”

“Yes?”

“How would you like a job? We harvest our pumpkins soon and we could use a farmhand.”

Elliot mulled it over for a moment or two, casting a glance to his empty pantry.

“That sounds like a fine offer.” He said, extending his hand to Julie. She shook it. “Thank you, Julie. I’ll be there to help.”

“Great! We’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

Julie’s stomach began to growl. She looked to the door. Was it open a crack or was that just her imagination?

“We should probably hit the road.” Julie said. “It’s getting late.”

Penny nodded in agreement.

“It was good seeing you, Elliot.” She said. “See you tomorrow.”

“Indeed! See you then.”

He bid them goodbye and opened the door for them. 

Penny and Julie made their way out into the night, walking back towards town with the ocean at their backs. Julie felt more relaxed now that they were on their way home.

Eventually the two found their way back home. Julie navigated to the light switch in the dark (only mildly bashing her shins on their coffee table) and flipped on the lights. 

“Are you hungry?” Julie asked Penny. “I’m starved.”

“I could definitely eat.” Penny said. “What did you have in mind?”

Julie opened their fridge and rummaged around before coming up with some ground beef and a jar of tomato sauce.

“Spaghetti sound good to you? I’ll cook.”

Penny nodded enthusiastically.

“Sounds great! I’ll feed Bast while you get the water boiling.”

Julie and Penny went for their respective cabinets while the cat sidled up along them looking for food. Julie filled a pot with water and set it on the stove. Penny deposited the contents of the can into Bast’s  
dish, and she dug into it with vigor.

Julie went about preparing the beef, depositing it into a skillet and turning on the heat. Soon enough it began to sizzle.

Julie took a box of noodles out of a cabinet and took a little over a third of the contents in her hand. She broke the dry noodles in half and added them to the now-boiling water. Julie took a hint of salt and  
added it to the pot.

While the noodles boiled, Julie browned the ground beef until it cooked through. As she stirred the meat to keep it rom burning, Julie added various spices and herbs. A bit of oregano, a bit of sage, even a touch of rosemary. She sprinkled the ingredients onto the meat, making sure to coat it evenly before stirring again. Every so often, Julie would dip into the pasta pot with a separate wooden spoon to stir the noodles.

Penny had settled into one of the chairs around their table, unlacing her shoes and heaving a sigh of relief.

“Another successful day!” She said, lounging back in her chair. “Thank you for suggesting going out, a walk was just what I needed after working in the garden.”

Penny inhaled the aroma wafting from the stove.

“Mmm. That’s smells delicious, babe. I can hardly wait!”

Julie enjoyed cooking. It was engaging and it resulted in food, which Julie was always in favor of. And what was more, it was a means to treat her girlfriend to a hot, home cooked meal. Julie sang softly to  
herself as she stared into the skillet with a faraway look in her eyes.

The kitchen timer snapped her out of her trance. She turned off the heat and retrieved a colander from the cabinet to drain the noodles into. After draining the water and returning the noodles to the pot, Julie drained the meat of excess fat before putting it back in the skillet and pouring in the tomato sauce.

Soon the sauce was bubbling and steaming. Julie added in the noodles and stirred the whole thing together. 

Dinner had been accomplished.

Julie piled two plates high and brought them over to the table. She then went to the fridge and retrieved two cans of cola.

Penny dug into the food. It gave Julie heart to see someone enjoying one of her meals so much.

“This is really good!” Penny said in between bites. “I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.”

Julie took a bite of hers. Not bad at all.

The strange events of the day lingered in the back of her mind, but Julie was determined to enjoy their evening in. She looked at Penny and smiled. This was nice.

“So how have the kids been this week?” Julie asked in between bites.

“Oh, they’ve been a handful.” Penny said. “With Spirit’s Eve coming up, all they want to hear about is ghosts and goblins. It’s been hard to keep them on-task. I may have resorted to telling them a ‘scary’ story just to get them to behave.”

“Ooh, what did you go with?”

“Oh, I just told them about the old witch that’s supposed to live in the woods. The legend goes that she lives in a hut that walks on two giant chicken feet and she steals away townsfolk who get too close to her lair.”

Julie looked up from her food.

“Chicken feet? Huh. I vaguely recall a legend from my homeland that describes something similar. Also involving an old witch, come to think of it.”

Penny’s eyebrows went up.

“Really? Wow. I guess some things are multiversal?”

Julie chuckled.

“I suppose so. Did the legend scare the kids?”

“Well, it scared Vincent more than Jas. He has a strange phobia regarding chickens, though. Every time we pass Marnie’s ranch I see him nervously eyeing the coops. At least with one of them behaving, I can keep some semblance of control.”

Penny sighed.

“Jas, on the other hand, told me she wanted to become a witch when she grew up. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just told her to study hard.”

Julie let out a laugh.

“It’s good to encourage the youth to follow their dreams.”

Their plates were soon empty, and Penny packed up the leftovers into a plastic container while Julie cleaned the dishes.

“Oh, hon?” Penny said. “I forgot to mention, you got mail today. I set the letter over there on the counter.”

Julie finished rinsing the dishes and dried her hands with a towel before strolling across the room and picking up the letter.

“Julie, I'm going to give you this advice because I like you and I want you to stay in Pelican Town. If there comes a day that you want to ask for someone's hand in marriage, you'll need to give them a 'Mermaid's Pendant'. Don't worry, everyone in Pelican Town understands the significance of the amulet. It's an ancient tradition in this region. Good luck!”

It was signed by Mayor Lewis.

Julie read and re-read the letter, her eyes lingering on the phrase ‘hand in marriage’. It was a dizzying concept, but Julie couldn’t deny that she’d been thinking about it.

She and Penny had been living together for a while now, and they shared the space with little friction. They’d been together for several years, each day more fulfilling than the last. It was a big step, but now that the idea was in her head it didn’t want to leave. 

Julie looked in Penny’s direction. She was humming the tune Julie had just been singing.

Julie felt something click into place in her head, clearing away all doubt. She loved this woman, and she wanted to hold onto her as long as she possibly could.

Penny caught Julie’s eye and they shared a look, smiling.

“Hey, you.” Julie said softly.

“Hm?”

“I just wanted to say thank you for making this leap with me. Living together, I mean. It’s been a wonderful experience and this house feels like home when you’re here.”

Penny walked over and pulled Julie into a hug.

“I agree. And I feel at home here, as well. I love this farm, and I consider myself blessed to be sharing it with you.”

Julie and Penny cuddled up on the couch with the television remote and a bowl of pretzels. Julie flipped the tv on and leaned into Penny’s shoulder. 

The show airing was a favorite of Penny’s: The Queen of Sauce. It was a cooking show based around a premise of teaching its viewers one recipe per episode. This evening’s program was centered around making glazed yams.

“Glazed yams!” The woman on the television declared. “It's yam season, and what better way to enjoy these delightful tubers than by slathering them in a sweet, sticky glaze? You'll need a nice, ripe yam and a  
whole bunch of sugar. Now, here's how you do it…”

Why she was levitating three feet off of the ground in a pretzel-meditation pose, Julie didn’t know. How her cooking utensils seemed to animate and prepare food autonomously, Julie couldn’t fathom. Still, it  
was an informative show. Penny was known to take notes some nights, quickly jotting down the ingredients and cooking steps. Tonight, she was content to relax laying across Julie’s lap.

The night wore on. Julie got up momentarily to get the fireplace going before settling back into her nice warm spot on the couch next to Penny. They spent a good portion of their evenings just like this, in domestic tranquility. Julie was a bit surprised at how easily she had settled into this lifestyle. Wake up, tend to crops, try to fish, eat dinner together and snuggle into the night. Some days, Penny went into town to  
shop or visit her mother. Some days, Julie went to visit Maru. Penny came and went from Julie’s house freely; Julie had a second key made specifically for her. It was all working surprisingly well.

They had developed a fairly effective system for avoiding miscommunication: Penny brought in a whiteboard and some dry-erase markers. Whenever one of them had to leave while the other was out, they would write where they were going and sign their name. Penny liked to sign hers with little notes.

‘Gone shopping. Eat something good for lunch!’

‘Going into town; Don’t work too hard!’

‘Be back later. Visiting mom. Have a wonderful day!’

She was just so goddamn cute.

As if on cue, Penny let out a yawn and buried her face in the crook of Julie’s neck.

“Getting sleepy, love?” Julie asked.

Another yawn.

“Maybe a little bit. You wanna crawl into bed with me?”

Penny ran her fingers through Julie’s hair, tightening her grip just a bit when she reached the back. Julie bit her lower lip.

“I suppose I could be persuaded.” Julie said softly, leaning in toward Penny until the tips of their noses touched.

“Oh?” Said Penny, a playful grin spreading across her face. “And just how might I persuade you?”

She pulled again, a little harder this time. Julie let out a soft gasp.

“I can think of a few things.” Julie said, leaning in to whisper in Penny’s ear. “I’m always quite fond of that thing you do with your hands.”

Penny blushed.

“I see you plan to put me to work.” Penny said, looking Julie up and down with a slight hunger to her gaze. “But it’s work I’m happy to do.”

She kissed Julie, long and passionate. Julie fell back onto her side of the couch as Penny climbed on top of her. With deft hands Penny unbuttoned her blouse and deposited it on the couch behind her. She then  
moved on to Julie’s jeans, unbuttoning them and peeling them off of her legs. Julie’s garments were deposited on the floor.

“Do we want to move this to the room?” Julie asked, holding her arms around herself for warmth. “More space to spread out and get comfortable. Plus, blankets.”

Penny nodded and hopped up off of the couch, leading Julie by the hand back to their bedroom. Julie went along, leaving her clothes sitting in a heap on the living room floor.

She glanced at the kitchen window. Open.

She thought about going to close it, but her thoughts were currently elsewhere. Julie decided against it in favor of allowing herself to be led to the bedroom. Surely she had simply left it open and forgotten about it.

Right?


	4. Mermaids and Old Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unsettling morning, Julie goes to town to acquire a Mermaid's Pendant.

The rest of the evening passed in romantic bliss. Penny made good on her promise, and Julie let herself get lost in the heat of the moment. Penny held her tenderly, whispering sweet nothings as her hands went to work. 

 

After a good long while, Julie found herself exhausted and curling up next to Penny to go to sleep. As her breathing slowly returned to its normal pace, the cloud of sleep slowly settled across her mind. She lay there in the dark, holding her partner close and trembling ever so slightly. She drifted off with a smile on her face.

 

Her respite did not last long.

 

In her dreams, she could see her bedroom as though she were standing in the doorway. It was dark, but she could could make out the sleeping forms of Penny and herself, cuddling up to each other for warmth. At first, Julie felt okay. Everything seemed to be in order.

 

She watched the two of them sleep for a while, enjoying the peaceful silence. Nothing of note happened for a short while, Julie still locked in her dream perceptions. That’s when she heard the door creak.

 

Julie would  have wheeled around if she could. As it was, all she could do was listen as the door eased its way open. She heard footsteps, muffled by the bedroom carpet. Julie wanted to call out, wake herself or Penny up somehow. It was no use.

 

Julie blinked, and suddenly there was someone standing at the foot of the bed. They stared down at the sleeping forms of Julie and Penny, unmoving. Julie could barely see them, stood at the edge of her peripheral vision as they were, but she glanced up, trying to see the invader’s face.

 

Instead of a human face, Julie saw a long, curved beak. It protruded from the figure’s face like an overgrown nose, ending in a sharp point. Julie’s mind began to panic, desperately trying to wake her up. The best she managed was her sleeping self rolling over and groaning without waking up. The figure didn’t move, staring down at Julie and Penny in stony silence.

 

Julie wasn’t sure how long she observed the scene, but at some point, the figure vanished. Julie should have felt relieved, but now her only thought process was that she couldn’t see it anymore. Her sleeping form groaned again, but she couldn’t seem to-

 

Julie woke up with a start. She sat up in bed, a cold sweat overtaking her entire body. She looked around the room. There was no spectral bird-thing to be seen. However, the door was open. Had they left it that way?

 

Julie climbed out of bed and threw on some clothes as quietly as she could. She didn’t like allowing her dreams to get to her, but something about this particular occurrence was telling her to investigate.

 

Julie slid on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She stopped for a moment and then snatched her knife from its place in her top drawer. This accomplished, she stalked out into the hallway, advancing slowly towards the living room. She strained her ears listening for anything out of place. She heard a creak from the kitchen, but it could have just been the house settling. Robin had done a wonderful job renovating the old place, but the house still groaned when it got too windy. Perhaps a storm was moving in.

 

Julie heard a sound and froze, just before she rounded the corner into the kitchen. It was soft, just a whisper of movement. The wind outside got louder.

 

Julie braced herself, ready to fling herself around the corner. She wasn’t sure what she expected to actually see, but she prepared for the worst.

 

One… Two… Three.

 

Julie rounded the corner just as the sound of wind died down. She entered into her kitchen with her knife clutched in her fist, but she found nothing immediately out of place. The only sound to be heard was the wind whistling by the window. Julie noticed the window was open, just a crack.

 

She went to the window and shut it,  her blood pounding in her ears. She had been distracted the night before and had left the window open. Why was it now almost closed? Julie stared at the window for a moment, her brain trying to process.

 

Julie flipped on the lights and shielded her eyes from the sudden flare. She looked all around her kitchen, but nothing seemed out of place. 

 

Julie sighed and rubbed her temples. She really needed to get back to sleep. Julie glanced around the room looking for the cat, but she was nowhere to be found. Another sigh. 

 

Julie hesitated for a moment before turning off the lights. She cast her gaze around the room once more, looking for anything out of place. She sound nothing. Steeling her nerves, she  flipped the switch and made her way down the hallway towards her bedroom with a quickness to her step. She felt silly being afraid of the dark in her own home, but at the same time she half expected to feel some terrible bird-creature breathing down the back of her neck. Perhaps it was just the old Hunter paranoia.

 

Julie closed the bedroom door behind her and locked it. Just in case. She discarded her jeans but kept the shirt, in case her paranoia bid her to get up again. Her knife was laid down on the nightstand. She climbed back into bed as gently as she could and scooted close to Penny. She feared there would be no more sleep this night, but damned if she wasn’t going to ride it out in comfort.

 

She drifted for a long while, trying her best to calm her troubled mind. Being close to Penny helped immensely, but Julie couldn’t seem to sleep. She laid there for the better part of two hours, listening to Penny’s steady breathing and the howl of the wind outside. It was hypnotic, and she allowed herself to meditate in relative tranquility until the first hint of weak sunlight began to illuminate the room.

 

When the room began to lighten in earnest, Julie grew restless. She kissed the back of Penny’s head and carefully climbed out of bed.

 

Julie yawned as she padded her way out to the living room. She had drawn the curtains during her first excursion to the kitchen, and the living room was cast into dusky obscurity. Julie went to the coffee maker and got it going before opening the curtains a few inches to let a little more grey light into the room.

 

She sat down at the kitchen table and her eyes were drawn to an envelope sitting on the table. Mayor Lewis’ letter.

 

Julie picked it up and re-read it, her eyes lingering on the second passage.

 

_ “ _ _ If there comes a day that you want to ask for someone's hand in marriage, you'll need to give them a 'Mermaid's Pendant.” _

 

A decent start, Julie thought. That only left two questions: What was a Mermaid’s Pendant and how in the name of the Goddess did she go about getting hold of one?

 

Julie had moved to the couch, rereading the Mayor’s letter and pondering. She noticed something she hadn’t before. There was a small postscript scribbled into the corner. It read:

 

_ “Check the library.” _

 

The mayor was as cryptic as ever. However, it was Julie’s first lead, and she was willing to at least follow up on it. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Julie sipped from a mug of coffee and folded the letter. It wouldn’t do to leave it lying around.

 

Julie looked at the clock. Almost nine in the morning. Penny would most likely be up soon. Julie got up and began preparing breakfast. 

 

She went to the fridge and retrieved four eggs and a slab of bacon, setting them on the counter and retrieving a skillet from the cupboard. As she began prepping the food, she hummed a tune to herself.

 

Soon the bacon was sizzling and the eggs were scrambled and steaming. Julie heard a door open down the hall and Penny emerged a few moments later. She was dressed in one of Julie’s t-shirts and little else.

 

“Morning, hon.” She said through a yawn. Julie saw her eyes go to the food. “I love you, I woke up so hungry.”

 

Julie laughed and turned back to the food.

 

“Small wonder, you got a lot of exercise in.”

 

Penny’s face went pink and she trotted across the kitchen to give Julie a kiss.

 

“I certainly did.” Penny said. “And I have you thank for that.”

 

She gave Julie’s backside a playful squeeze. Julie jumped a bit and let out a brief squeal.

 

“I wasn’t going to complain.” Julie said with a wiggle.

 

Penny grabbed some tongs and flipped the bacon while Julie tended to the eggs. Julie looked out the window. The sky outside was dark and overcast, and the clouds threatened rain. The soft grey light played across Penny’s still-sleepy face and set her messy hair ablaze with color. Standing there in Julie’s slightly baggy clothes with a look of pleased contentment on her face, she looked so good it almost hurt.

 

Breakfast was served. Julie and Penny poured themselves glasses of juice and sat down at the table to eat.

 

“Any plans for today?” Penny asked in between bites.

 

“Oh, you know…” Julie tried to play it cool. “Stuff.”

 

Penny raised an eyebrow.

 

“Stuff?”

 

“Stuff and things. I have some errands to run in town today. What about you?”

 

Penny took a large bite of food before answering.

 

“I’ve got the kids today. It looks like rain, so I’ll probably use this as an opportunity to teach them the difference between cumulus, stratus, and cumulonimbus clouds.”

 

“Sounds like fun.” Said Julie. “Which type are we in for today?”

 

“Cumulonimbus.” Penny said. “Those are the really big storm clouds. Make sure you take an umbrella with you!”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Can do. It wouldn’t do to get sick the night before the festival.”

 

“Oh that reminds me! We still need to get our costumes!”

 

She was right. Julie had all but forgotten that she’d commissioned Emily to make outfits for Julie and Penny to wear to the festival.

 

“I can swing by Emily’s once I get to town.” Julie said.

 

“Perfect!”

 

Julie got herself properly dressed while Penny cleared the dishes. By the time Julie returned from their room, the counter and table were clean.

 

“Thanks for getting those, dear.” Julie said.

 

“Of course! Thank you for cooking breakfast! It makes for a wonderful way to wake up.”

 

They shared a kiss.

 

“Take care out there!” Said Penny as Julie made her way to the door. “Try not to get caught in the rain!”

 

“Can do.” Julie responded as she grabbed an umbrella. “You need anything from Pierre’s?”

 

Penny thought about it a moment before shaking her head.

 

“No, I think I’m alright. Thank you, though!”

 

“Alrighty. I suppose I’ll be going. I’ll try to be back soon!”

 

Julie opened the front door and looked out across her land, bathed in the soft sunlight filtering through the clouds. It looked so peaceful, it made Julie’s heart ache. She still couldn’t believe it was all hers.

 

With a final parting wave to Penny, Julie made her way down the cobblestone path. She passed the garden and stopped to admire the pumpkins. She would never have believed herself capable of such a bountiful harvest, but she supposed that was just the way things were in the valley. At least the blood sacrifices weren’t for nothing.

 

Julie went to the side of the house and retrieved an old wheelbarrow. She loaded several of her bigger pumpkins and the umbrella into the basin and began merrily pushing it towards town.

 

She got lost in thought on her walk. Staring up at the endless gradient of grey and white, her thoughts turned softly to her former home. The vast expanses of green broken up by towns and highways. The sunny days and rainy nights she had spent in a tool shed in a friend’s backyard. It was strange to think of how much had changed.

 

By the time she passed the old bus and town was in sight, the rain had begun. It was just a sprinkle at present, but the mass of dark grey rolling overhead promised more. Julie picked up her pace and walked into the general store, struggling a bit to get the wheelbarrow through the door.

 

“Julie! Hey!” 

 

Julie heard a familiar voice greet her upon her arrival. From behind a rack of produce came Abigail, holding two heads of lettuce. 

 

“Hey, Abby! How’s things?”

 

“Oh, you know. Most of my day has been culling lettuce. How about you? Anything exciting going on?”

 

“I’m doing alright.” Julie said. “ And nothing too big. At least, not yet. I’m was just on my way to the library and I wanted to come by to sell a few things.”

 

Abigail looked to her haul and her eyes went wide.

 

“Ooh, I can hardly wait to carve one of those!”

 

She helped Julie load the pumpkins onto the store counter.

 

“Let me go get my dad.” Abigail said. She ducked into the back of the shop and reemerged a minute later with Pierre in tow.

 

“Morning, Julie! My, my, the crops are really coming in this year! I’ll have to set one aside before they sell out.”

 

“There’s more where that came from.” Julie said. “I’ll put them in the shipping crate tonight. For these, I was hoping to get a little gold.”

 

At the mention of the word ‘gold’, Pierre’s face lit up.

 

“Of course, of course! Let’s see, for this batch, I could give you about 1500 gold.”

 

Julie thought it over before nodding and shaking his hand. She wasn’t sure what the pumpkins were worth individually, but Pierre usually gave her a fair price. Pierre opened his cash register and removed a small sum of gold, which he slid across the counter to Julie. She took the money and placed it in the gold pouch she kept at her side. By her count, she now had a sum a little over 6000. Part of it was reserved for  purchasing seeds next season, as well as paying her bills, but it was nice to have savings.

 

“Pleasure doing business with you!” Pierre said, his voice full of a salesman’s over-enthusiasm. “Come back soon!”

 

Julie nodded to Pierre and bid goodbye to Abigail. Julie awkwardly rotated her wheelbarrow back around so she could fit it out the door, and Abigail trotted over to hold the door for her.

 

Abigail followed Julie outside.

 

“Mind if I walk with you?” She asked Julie. “I’ve been in the shop all morning and I need an excuse to take a walk in the rain.”

 

“Not at all!” Julie responded. “I could use the company. Do you think your dad would mind if I left this wheelbarrow around the side of the store?”

 

“You can just put it there, I’m sure he won’t mind. And I highly doubt anyone in town would steal it.”

 

“Alrighty. Thanks!”

 

Julie steered the wheelbarrow towards the side of the store and leaned it up against the wall. Now far less encumbered, Julie and Abigail set off across town square. The rain had picked up to a steady patter now, and Julie drew the folds of her coat around her as she felt the cold droplets splash onto her hands and face. She had somewhat foolishly left the umbrella in the wheelbarrow, but she was loathe to turn around and go back for it now that she and Abigail had gotten well away from the store. They weaved their way towards the far end of town, across the bridge. Julie knew the way to the museum from two years worth of visiting Penny at work. When the children had writing assignments to complete, they could usually be found in the back of the museum’s library, sat around a table with Penny.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you headed to the museum on such a beautiful day?” Abigail asked. “I always took you for the rainy day type.”

 

“Oh, I am.” Julie said with a laugh. “There was a time where I would have gone jogging in weather like this. It makes for good contemplation, I find. I just need to do a bit of research, and the museum is my best lead.”

 

Abigail nodded.

 

“Fair enough.”

 

They walked for a minute or two in silence. When they arrived at the bridge that led across the river, they paused. The museum was in sight.

 

“I think this is where I’ll double back.” Said Abigail. “It was good seeing you, though!”

 

They shared a brief hug and Abigail turned for home. Julie continued on alone, her eyes set on the green wooden building ahead of her. She arrived at the door and pushed it open. The omnipresent sound of rainfall was muffled by the silence of the library.

 

Gunther, the proprietor, gave Julie a curt nod and went back to the book he had been reading. She passed the front desk and began winding her way among the bookcases.

 

She began scanning the rows of books, hoping to spot anything that might serve as a clue.

 

“T _ he Secrets of the Stardrop _ ?” She muttered to herself.  “No.”

 

“ _ Scarecrows: A Compendium? _ Surely not."

 

“ _ A Comprehensive Brewmaster’s Guide _ ? Hm. Perhaps another time.”

 

Finally, Julie’s eyes lit on something pertinent.

 

“ _ Marriage Guide for Farmers. _ Bingo.”

 

She slid the dusty tome from its shelf and took it to a nearby table. The script was large, and the pages were illustrated with snapshots of the ocean. Strange.

 

‘Before you ask someone to marry you, you'll have to date them for a while first.” Julie read quietly aloud. “When you're ready to pop the big question, you'll need to give them a 'Mermaid's Pendant'. Everyone knows what it means when you present them with one of those.”

 

She kept reading.

 

“It's rumored that on stormy days, the ghost of an old mariner appears along the coast, clutching just such a pendant. Don’t forget, nothing permanent is free.”

 

Julie pondered. A ghost? She didn’t necessarily doubt that the supernatural was involved with the town’s marriage processes, but getting the equivalent of a wedding ring from a long-dead spirit seemed just a bit batty.

 

She read through the rest of the text, which went on to describe the changes one had to make in order to start living with their partner. Most of what was described, Julie already knew. It had been just a little bit unconventional by the town's standards to move in together before marriage, but Julie had always believed that one should know if they and their partner mesh together at home before jumping headlong into a lifelong commitment.

 

The book mentioned nothing else about the mysterious sea ghost, but she did get a diagram of what a mermaid’s pendant looked like.

 

The pendant resembled a spiraled blue seashell with a small hole bored through in order to feed a thick string through. She memorized the shape and the shade of blue before closing the book and putting it back. She ruminated on what her next step was.

 

“Nothing permanent is free.” 

 

Julie murmured to herself. What did that mean? Her best guess was that the pendant cost something in return, but deal with spirits almost never involved minted currency. Then again, what did Julie know about ghosts of this world?

 

She bid Gunther good day on her way out of the museum, and he wordlessly tipped his hat as she passed his desk. With that, Julie was back out into the rain. 

 

She was beginning to regret not bringing her umbrella, as the rain was continuing to build in intensity. Cascades of water ran through the gutters and the town’s grassy dirt areas were beginning to turn to mud.

 

Julie thought about heading home and taking a nice, hot shower. But she had more to do this day. She crossed the bridge leading back to the western end of town and then headed down the path that led south to the sea.

 

The wind had picked up, and Julie found herself having trouble walking across the beach. The sand was wet and her feet sank right through before finding semi-solid purchase. Julie scanned the length of the beach, from the rocky cove to the west to the underside of the dock that occupied a good portion of the waterfront. Julie could see no one.

 

She kept tromping through the damp sand, heading for the eastern beach. The sand stretched out for miles, but larger waves occasionally buffeted the coastline. Julie hoped she wouldn’t have to hike too far.

 

She reached an eddy that broke up two stretches of beach. A thin plank bridge spanned the gap. it wobbled and creaked under Julie’s weight as she carefully tiptoed across, saying a silent prayer to the Goddess that the bridge would not snap and cast her into the water.

 

Julie made it across without taking a plunge, and she found herself in a familiar location.

 

A long time ago, she and Penny had come here on an impromptu date. They had shared their first kiss on this very beach.

 

Julie stood near the shoreline and looked out over the sea. She wondered who and what stood on the other side of the churning sea. Perhap one day she would know. Her life had taken so many strange turns, nothing seemed impossible anymore.

 

Julie’s thoughts drifted to Penny. Her soft lips, her warm smile. How lucky Julie was to have found someone with whom she clicked so well. She stood there in the rain, a smile beginning to play across her face.

 

“Quite the sight, eh?” Came a voice from behind her.

 

Julie spun around and found that the formerly empty beach was now occupied by a man wearing a long blue coat and a dark, broad-brimmed hat. As Julie watched, he struck up a match and lit a pipe he had procured from seemingly nowhere. The match lit despite the rain, and the spirit gave his pipe a few puffs before shaking out the match and exhaling smoke.

 

“Well met, lass.” He said in a voice full of gravel. “Fine day to go to sea, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Julie took a few steps closer, taking in the details of the ghost’s appearance. His coat looked ragged and worn, with what looked like barnacles clinging to lower folds. His face was deeply lined with age and a bushy beard partially covered several prominent scars. When Julie glanced away, he seemed to disappear, only becoming solid when Julie looked directly at him. She kept approaching, slowly, searching her mind for what to say.

 

The ghost spoke before she could.

 

“Ahh, I can see it in yer eyes.” Said the ghost. “There be someone special in yer heart.”

 

Julie nodded, unsure what to say. The ghost continued.

 

“Yer hardly the first young’un I’ve set upon the path, and ye won’t be the last.”

 

He took another long drag from his pipe.

 

“Yer looking for one of these, aren’t you lassie?”

 

He flicked his wrist and the lit pipe vanished, replaced by an ornate blue shell on a cord.

 

“I am.” Julie said.

 

The mariner nodded.

 

“It so happens that I have one to sell.”

 

Sell? What did a ghost need with money? If paying bills followed her into the afterlife, she would have choice words for several heavenly deities.

 

“How much?” Julie asked.

 

“5000 gold.”

 

Julie balked just a little. That was most of her money. She would have enough left over to pay their bills, but buying seeds for spring might have to wait. Julie pondered this for several minutes, staring out over the water. The mariner did much of the same, puffing his pipe and looking out to sea with a faraway expression.

 

Julie reached for her gold pouch and counted out the sum she needed. Her pockets were much lighter now, at least. Julie handed the gold to the ghost and the mermaid’s pendant materialized in his hand.

 

“I wish ye the best of luck, lass.” The mariner said as Julie took the pendant and turned it in her hand. “Should we ever cross again, do let me know how it works out.”

 

Julie looked down, admiring the fine detail of the shell.

 

“Thank you.” Julie began. “First, I have to-”

 

She looked up. The mariner was gone.

 

“Ah.”

 

Julie stood there in the sand, watching the waves batter the shore. The rain was picking up, now coming down hard enough that she was beginning to feel it through her coat. After several long moments gazing out across the sea, Julie began trudging her way back to the bridge. 

 

By the time Julie arrived back in town, her boots and pants legs were covered in wet sand. She was fairly certain she had sand  _ in  _ her boots, but she didn’t want to unlace them to check.

 

The streets were empty, the residents tending to stay indoors on rainy days. Julie whistled to herself as she walked, rounding the side of Pierre’s and retrieving her wheelbarrow. She tipped it forward to drain the rainwater that had accumulated in the basin and retrieved the soaking umbrella from within. She opened the umbrella and held it in the drook of her arm while she fumbled with the wheelbarrow. Eventually she managed to get the thing supported with one hand. She began pushing it back towards home.

 

Getting back was slower than getting there, as the path had turned muddy. Julie mentally reminded herself to take off her boots before she went into the house. No sense tracking half the beach in with her.

 

Julie arrived at the eastern edge of her property. She pushed forward, pausing a moment to watch the swollen river roll by in the distance. She heaved a sigh, feeling in her pocket for the mermaid’s pendant.

 

She had it. She had gotten through the easy part. Now she had timing to think about. When should she ask the question? Should she wait until they were alone or go for a public gesture? Julie didn’t suppose Penny would like a big fancy proposal, so she tried not to overthink it. She would keep the pendant at hand until the right moment presented itself. 

 

Julie kicked off her muddy boots and knocked twice on her front door before entering. Penny had gotten dressed and was going around the house tidying up.

 

“Welcome back!” Penny said upon seeing Julie. “How did your errands go?”

 

Julie felt the outline of the shell in her pocket and smiled.

 

“Oh, they went well! I sold a few of our larger pumpkins to Pierre, talked to Abigail a bit. I’m going to harvest the rest of the pumpkins and get them into the shipping crate after I have myself some food. I think Elliot is coming by at some point to help me with them.”

 

“Sounds good!” Penny said. “I’m getting ready to leave for work. I’m supposed to pick up the children at 12:30, so I’ll be heading out fairly soon. Eat something good for lunch!”

 

“Can do. Whatever I make, I’ll save you some.”

 

She wrapped Penny up in her arms and gave her an affectionate squeeze. They kissed.

 

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few hours. Enjoy the rest of your day! I’ll be thinking of you.”

 

Penny picked up a coat from the rack near the door and pulled it over her shoulders. Then she retrieved a parasol and opened the door.

 

“Love you!”

 

“Love you, too!”

 

Penny was out the door, heading south toward Marnie’s ranch. Julie watched her go until she crossed the bridge and disappeared down the forest path.

 

Julie let out a long sigh and flopped down on the couch, flipping on the television and absent-mindedly watching a re-run of a science fiction movie she had once watched at Penny’s old trailer. She relaxed on the couch for the better part of an hour, resting her tired feet and listening to the static hiss of the tv blend with the rhythm of the storm outside. She wanted to get up and fix herself lunch, but she was too comfortable to move. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and closed her eyes.

 

She was at home. She was comfortable and safe. The strange dealings of the last few days seemed far away.

 

Her thoughts drifted to the upcoming festival. The whole town would be in attendance, (at least, for part of it) and Julie was still just a bit leery of large crowds. What was more, Spirit’s Eve signified a surge in the magicks of the world, and the town’s landowners capitalized on this natural phenomenon by way of goat sacrifice. It ensured bountiful crops and waters teeming with fish, kept the weather balanced, and in general promoted prosperity across the valley. Julie suspected that the town had caught the attention of a minor god, perhaps a god of the harvest. There were plenty to choose from in the universe, as Julie had (somewhat unfortunately) discovered.

 

She shook her head to clear it. Dwelling on magic and the will of the cosmos for too long was dangerous to one’s sanity, a lesson that Yharnam had learned all too well. Julie had to assume that the gods of this realm were more benevolent that those she’d tangled with before. Still, she had dealt with enough cosmic fuckery to know that there were some things one was better off not knowing.

 

Something nagged at the back of her mind. Had she forgotten something? She scoured her brain trying to remember what she had to do that day. She had harvested about a quarter of her pumpkins, taken them to town, and sold them. She had gone to the museum and learned about the ghost. She had even managed to acquire a mermaid’s pendant. What was she missing?

 

The realization came to her. She had forgotten to go by Emily’s house to get their festival attire!

 

Julie swore out loud and let out a groan. She had just started to dry off.

 

After a few minutes of sighing interspersed with swearing, Julie got to her feet and went to retrieve her coat, the umbrella, and her weatherproofed knapsack.

 

She was out the door again. Thankfully, the wind had died down a bit, but the rain was coming down as hard as ever. She had brought her hat and scarf this time, if only to keep  herself from catching a cold.

 

By the time she arrived at Emily’s house the storm was beginning to come in earnest. She rapped her knuckles on the door three times in quick succession. There was a long pause, then Julie heard a groan on the other end of the door, then the sound of footsteps. The door opened about a foot and Julie was met with Haley, Emily’s younger sister.

 

“Hey.” She said. “Looking for my sister?”

 

Julie nodded, pulling down her scarf to reveal her face.

 

“Em!” Haley called, so loud it made Julie jump. “Your friend is here looking for you!”

 

With her message delivered, Haley left, leaving the door open and Julie standing on the porch.

 

“Julie!” Emily called. “Good to see you! Come in, come in! It’s a bit of a downpour outside, isn’t it? I’m not necessarily complaining. After that dry spell this summer the plants could really use the water.”

 

Julie took off her hat and hung it up near the door before going and giving Emily a hug.

 

“Good to see you as well!” She said. “The storm is quite something. I’m just hoping I can get home before the worst of it hits.”

 

Emily was already scurrying off to her bedroom, where she made her clothes. She came back with two bundles of thick leather/fabric, one shimmering silver with royal purple accents and one a faint gold with deep crimson accents.

 

“May I proudly present to you: The Cosmic Knights!”

 

She grabbed the silver and purple bundle and held it up, letting it tumble down to its full length. Julie let out an audible ‘Oooh’.

 

The garment was comprised of folds of dyed leather and cloth, sewn together masterfully to form a jerkin and pleated skirt. It ran with a shimmery fabric reminiscent of twinkling stars. Attached to the shoulders, shins, and left breastplate were thin sheets of light metal that gave the impression of wearing armor plate. Julie held it in her hands, feeling the weight. It would be a bit heavy, but it looked amazing.

 

“And here’s the kicker!” Emily said with her usual level of chipper enthusiasm. “Pockets!”

 

She opened one of the pockets sewn into the skirt and stuffed her entire hand and wrist into it.

 

Julie let out an impressed whistle.

 

“Em, these are fantastic! They must have been so much trouble!”

 

Emily waved her concern off.

 

“No trouble at all! I adore ambitious projects. Speaking of, I think you’ll like what I’ve done with these.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I designed most of the younger folks’ costumes. I do every year. It’s a lot of work but I do some of my best work when I’m under pressure! At any rate, I designed yours, Penny’s, and Maru’s to match each other! I already gave Maru hers, it’s blue and green. I felt as though those colors match her aura.”

 

Julie was touched. She put a hand over her heart and let out and ‘Aww’.

 

“That’s lovely of you to do! I’m sure the girls will appreciate it!”

 

“I certainly hope they do! I’m looking forward to seeing you guys all together tomorrow night!”

 

Julie thought about it a moment and smiled.

 

Julie carefully tucked both suits of ‘armor’ into her knapsack. It bulged a bit, but it fit. Julie turned to Emily.

 

“I wish I could stay later, but I should probably run and try to beat this storm.”

 

Emily came up and hugged her again.

 

“No worries, dearie. We’ll catch up at the festival tomorrow! It was great seeing you, as usual. Give my love to Penny, won’t you?”

 

Julie put her hat and scarf back on.

 

“Can do! Thank you again for these costumes, Em. They’re beautiful and they’re blessedly functional. I don’t know what else I could ask for.”

 

“Anytime! I’m always looking for reasons to further my craft. Every outfit I design is one step closer to mastering the process!”

 

“I admire the dedication you have. I wish I could say the same for my fishing and gardening. I’m a long way from mastering either.”

 

“That just means you need practice!”

 

She opened the door for Julie and gave her one more squeeze before letting her out into the rain once more.

 

“See you tomorrow night, Em.”

 

“See you, Julie!”

 

Julie hustled to get home, not wanting the costumes to get damaged. She made it back in record time, sliding through several muddy spots with figure skater-like intensity. By the time her house came into sight she was beginning to shiver. 

 

She arrived at her front door. The light was out.  Penny must have still been out with the kids. Julie found the door locked. Did she lock the door on her way out? 

 

Julie peeked in through the window. It was midday but the clouds hung so thick that she could barely see inside. She squinted a bit and manage to make out the kitchen window. It looked like it was open.

 

Julie crossed into her side yard, winding her way towards the back of her house. She hesitated before rounding the corner. She found nothing on the other side, but she discovered that the window was indeed open a crack. She mentally reprimanded herself for leaving the window open during a storm, but it might have saved her several hours of huddling under the doorway arch. Julie pushed the window open further, far enough to fit her body through. 

 

She did an undignified leap up to get her torso through. From there, she hoisted herself up and climbed down directly onto and over her stove. After a few snags and no small amount of discomfort, she managed to lower herself onto the kitchen floor.

 

The room was dim. Julie tried to let her eyes adjust as she came to her feet. She took off her hat and set it down on the kitchen table. She looked up.

 

That’s when she saw someone standing in her living room.


	5. By the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie confronts an intruder. Julie and Penny spend the night at Maru's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Violence.

Julie didn’t react at first. She stood there, staring at the strange figure in surprised silence. Her hand went to her belt, but she was unarmed. She felt panic rising in her chest. What was going on? Was she being robbed? The shape was a bit hunched over, but undoubtedly human. They appeared to be going through Julie’s things.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Julie asked, trying not to sound as rattled as she was. “What are you doing in my house?”

 

At the sound of her voice, the figure straightened. Julie saw their hand go to their side. In one fluid motion, the intruder flung back their cloak and drew a long, wickedly curved dagger.

 

“Oh, so we’re doing sharp things.” Julie said. “Great.”

 

Julie’s eyes went to the fireplace. The figure was between her and her sword. She needed to get to it.

 

They both stood stock still for just a moment, each trying to gauge what the other was going to do. Then, all at once, Julie dashed forward. With a grunt of effort, Julie flung herself over the couch, rolling off onto the floor. Her assailant swung their blade in a wide arc, missing Julie by scant inches.

 

She shot to her feet as quick as she could make her muscles move, narrowly dodging another sweep of the blade. She felt the tip whistle by her head and she flung herself sideways. She landed with a crash and stumbled to her feet again. Her muscles protested. She wasn’t as spry as she had once been.

 

Julie snatched her opponent’s forearm and attempted a disarming maneuver. She was pushed back and kicked in the chest, sending her reeling backward into the couch.

 

Julie struggled to get to her feet. Just as she swung herself up and off of the cushion, the long knife slashed through it, sending stuffing everywhere. Julie ducked under another swing and hurled herself into a drop-roll, coming to her feet in front of the fireplace. She snatched up her sword and leveled it in front of her.

 

“I’m giving you one chance to leave alive.” She growled through gritted teeth.

 

Her attacker bristled and backed off a few feet to be out of longsword range. They twirled their blade in their fingers and stared at Julie another moment before dashing into engagement range again and sending their blade whistling towards Julie’s head. Julie ducked and she heard the sound of metal going through wood as the shadowy figure carved through the wall behind her.

 

The knife was wrenched out of the wall and sent scything through the air towards Julie. Julie parried the initial strike but took a slash across the shoulder as her attacker pressed the offensive. The blade sliced across her skin again. She cried out in pain and backed into the wall.

 

The knife was brought down once, twice. Julie jerked her head sideways to avoid getting a new forehead piercing and managed to push the other combatant back a few paces.

 

Julie lashed out and delivered a kick right into her assailant’s gut. They let out an ‘Oof’ and doubled over. Julie grabbed hold of them by the shoulders and hurled them into the wall with a loud ‘bang’. Several of Julie’s wall decorations came crashing to the floor.

 

“Goddess, why do they always insist on fighting?” Julie huffed between ragged breaths. 

 

She suddenly had a thought. The lights. Being in the dark gave the intruder an advantage. Julie darted to the light switch and was just about to flip it on when she heard a key turning in the front door.

 

Penny was home.

 

The door swung open as Julie hit the lights.  There was a great scrambling and crashing and by the time Julie’s eyes adjusted to the flare of light, her living room was empty.

 

Penny poked her head inside.

 

“Julie?” She called hesitantly. “What was that? I thought I saw someone else just a moment ago.”

 

Her gaze went to the tear in the couch and the swath cut into the wall. Her eyes went wide.

 

“Oh my goodness, are you okay? What happened?”

 

Penny rushed forward and wrapped Julie in her arms.

 

“I came home to find the door locked and the back window open.” Julie said. “There was someone in here. I have no idea what they wanted, but I think they were trying to rob us.”

 

“But who were they?” Penny asked, alarmed.

 

Julie stared at the open window. On the sill was a single sleek black feather. Julie detached from Penny and went to the window, slamming it closed and throwing the latch.

 

“I have no idea.”

 

She was lying. A suspicion haunted the back of her mind, but she didn’t want to scare Penny. (Or herself.) It couldn’t be.

 

“Put some clothes in a bag.”  Julie said. “We’re not staying here tonight.”

 

Penny nodded and went to their room to pack.

 

Julie went to the telephone and dialed Maru’s number.

 

After three rings, Robin answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Robin! It’s Julie. Is it alright if Penny and I come by? Our house was just broken into and we don’t feel safe here.”

 

“Oh my goodness, that’s terrible! Absolutely, I’ll let Maru know to prep for guests.”

 

“Thank you so much. We’ll be by soon.”

 

“Be safe, you two! We’ll see you when you get here.”

 

Julie hung up the phone and made her way into the bedroom to pack herself an overnight bag. She found Penny just finishing up hers when she entered.

 

“I’m ready whenever you are.” Penny said. “We’re going to Maru’s?”

 

Julie nodded and began packing.

 

“If they got in once, they might try again. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

 

She finished packing her bag and pulled her torn shirt over her head. She selected fresh clothes, throwing on an old t-shirt she didn’t mind bleeding on. Her clothes taken care of, she went to her dresser and retrieved her knife, strapping it to her hip.

 

“Okay. Let’s go. I’ll double-check that all the windows are locked, you set out some food for Bast.”

 

Penny nodded and carried her bag out to the kitchen.

 

“Um, Julie?”

 

Julie followed her and came around the corner to find Penny holding a sealed tin of cat food and staring at the cat bowl. It was already full. An empty tin sat on the counter nearby.

 

“They fed our cat and then tried to kill me?” Julie asked incredulously. 

 

“Talk about mixed signals.” Penny replied.

 

 

“Well, let’s dump this out and open a fresh tin. Just in case they did something to the food.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea.”

 

Julie dumped the suspect cat food and took the sealed tin from Penny.

 

“Bast?” Julie called out. “Bast!”

 

The cat did not emerge, to nobody’s surprise. She liked to spend daylight hours either strolling the farm or hiding in a closet inside. Julie fixed her food anyway, leaving a full bowl on the counter next to Bast’s water dish.

 

With the cat’s food sorted out, the two went to the front door and opened it. The storm was still coming down.

 

“Oh, before I forget.”

 

Julie doubled back and snatched up the rucksack containing their festival costumes.

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

They made their way out into the rain, Julie in fresh clothes and Penny wearing Julie’s hunter coat for warmth. They slipped and slid down the path up the hill and soon found themselves in the mountains.

 

The two didn’t talk much, Penny pulling Julie’s coat tightly around herself and Julie constantly scanning around for threats, her hand gripped on the hilt of her sword. The night was dark and the storm was still  coming down, but they made it to Maru’s unaccosted.

 

They stood outside Maru’s door, huddled like a pair of wet kittens. Julie knocked twice, and before her knuckles connected for a third knock, the door was open.

 

“Come in, come in!” Robin said, opening the door wider so they could come inside. 

 

They stepped across the threshold and wiped their muddy feet on the mat by the door.

 

“Thank you so much for letting us stay here.” Said Julie to Robin. “It’s been a long day.”

 

“Of course!” Robin said, taking Julie’s coat from Penny and hanging it up. “You’re always welcome here. Maru! Maru, Julie and Penny are here!”

 

Julie heard a door fly open down the hall and Maru came bursting out, dressed in workout clothes with her hair pulled back out of her face. She flung her arms around her friends and pulled them both into a tight hug.

 

“I’m so glad you made it here okay. What in goodness’ name happened?”

 

“I came home to find someone in our house.” Julie replied. “They were going through our things when I arrived. I called out to them, but there was no talking things over. As soon as they saw me, they moved to  attack.”

 

Maru’s eyes went to the blossom of red slowly blooming through Julie’s shirt.

 

“Julie, you’re bleeding!” Maru exclaimed. “We have to get these cuts treated right away. Come with me, I keep first aid in my room.”

 

Julie felt a surge of gratitude that her other partner was a nurse. To her mind, she had shown up to Maru’s with fresh injuries entirely too many times, but Maru never seemed to mind.

 

Maru led her friends down the hall to her room and pushed open the door.

 

As usual, Maru’s space was littered with bits and pieces of a dozen different devices. Half-finished mechanical projects sat atop her desk and across a good portion of the floor. Maru went to her desk and retrieved a white plastic case with a large red cross on the front.

 

“Okay, let me see the damage.”

 

Julie made sure the door was closed behind her before pulling her shirt over her head. Maru examined Julie’s wounds, dabbing them gently with a sanitizing wipe as she did so. Julie let out a few involuntary hisses as the alcohol soaked into her wounds.

 

All in all, Julie had escaped the fight relatively unharmed. She had a nasty cut across her shoulder and a lesser slice running along her side, and both oozed blood at a slow but steady rate. Maru ended up using most of her alcohol wipes trying to clean Julie’s wounds. Then, Maru retrieved a roll of gauze from the first aid kit and wrapped Julie’s injuries.

 

With her wounds dressed, Julie sat down carefully on the edge of Maru’s bed. Her girlfriends joined her, one to each side.

 

Julie sighed and leaned her head on Maru’s shoulder. The day had taken an unexpected turn, but she was still alive and her girls were safe. Julie closed her eyes and silently thanked the Goddess for small mercies.

 

They didn’t talk for a long while, each of the three taking a moment to adjust to the happenings of the day. Julie’s mind was whirring. Who had the mysterious intruder been? What did they want? Why did she have such a gnawing feeling that there was something she was missing?

 

Eventually, Maru went to make tea for everyone. Julie and Penny were left cuddled together, Penny doing her best to avoid aggravating Julie’s injuries. Now that the adrenaline rush had worn off, Julie simply felt tired and in pain. She couldn’t stretch without feeling a harsh sting in her shoulder and her side protested every time she went to twist. Still, feeling Penny’s hands delicately rubbing her back gave her comfort. It had been such a long day.

 

“Hon?” Penny asked softly. “Are you okay?”

 

Julie almosted reacted instinctually. She almost said ‘yeah’ in a non-committal fashion and shrugged it off. Instead, she just shook her head slightly. Penny wrapped her arms around her and pulled her as close as she could without hurting her.

 

“It’s going to be alright.” Penny said in a voice quiet and reassuring. “We’ll go to the Mayor tomorrow before the festival and report the break-in. If he can’t help us, we’ll go to the wizard. There’s not much in the house we can’t afford to lose, and all that matters to me is that you and I are safe.”

 

Julie nodded. Her mind was faraway, but she rested her head on Penny’s shoulder. Penny gently stroked her hair and held her close.

 

“I love you.” Penny whispered. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

 

“I love you, too.” Julie replied. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our home safe.”

 

Penny shook her head.

 

“Don’t you worry about that. You can’t be prepared for everything.”

 

Maru had returned with three steaming mugs on a tray. Penny gave Julie’s back an affectionate rub before gratefully accepting hers and blowing into it to cool it. Julie sat up and took hers as well.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She blew into her tea to cool it before taking a long sip.

 

Ahh, chamomile.

 

The rest of the evening passed in relative quiet. Maru eased the mood by throwing on some soothing music and Penny brought out a book to read while she cuddled as close to Julie as she could. Maru sat down on Julie’s other side, holding her hand and providing reaffirming squeezes when necessary.

 

Julie’s mind refused to switch off. The way the intruder seemed to know who she was. Their quick and ruthless fighting style. The single black feather left behind. There was something about all this she just wasn’t connecting. But what?

 

Try as she might to stay up and alert, her wounds sapped her strength. She felt her eyes growing tired and she mumbled out something to the tune of ‘Sleep soon’.

 

“You want to lay down, love?” Penny asked. “We can keep watch until you fall asleep.”

 

“I… I could probably use some rest.” Julie said, sleep beginning to fill her voice. She yawned and stretched as much as she could with her limited range of motion.

 

“You’ll be okay?” She asked.

 

Both of her partners nodded. She felt a bit better.

 

“Don’t you worry.” Maru said. “You’re safe here.”

 

“And if anybody tries to get to you again, they’ll have to go through us.” Said Penny with a hard edge to her voice.

 

That was precisely what Julie was afraid of.

 

Her weariness got the better of her eventually, and she laid her head down on the pillow. She scooted as close as she could to Penny and Maru and closed her eyes.

 

She didn’t fall asleep for a long while, but she felt her breathing slowing and her body beginning to settle into rest mode. She felt Penny stand up and heard her ask Maru for a phone to call her mother. Maru got up to go retrieve it.

 

She could still hear the rain on the roof, and it lulled her into drowsiness. Her last thoughts before drifting off were troubled.

 

It was cold. Julie pulled her coat tighter around herself as she surveyed her dimly lit surroundings. 

 

The streets were empty. Too empty for her liking. Julie set off from the lantern with startling speed, taking the first several streets at a mild sprint. She felt power flowing through her veins. She was fast. She was strong. In her hand, her gleaming silver blade. On her back, a bladed scabbard. The Hunt was on.

 

She came upon them as they rounded a corner. A group of Yharnamites armed with torches and pitchforks. Their faces were scarred and twisted, fur sprouting from all manner of places. Julie almost ran straight into one. She came to a jarring halt and twirled her blade in her hand. 

 

The mob  hesitated for a few seconds until their leader raised his torch and let out a guttural war cry. They attacked.

 

Julie set upon the first, driving her blade into his abdomen and wrenching it upwards, spraying her coat with hot, acrid blood. The second raised a torch and received a slash to the throat for his trouble. She kicked the third in the gut and he dropped like a rock. Her left hand went to her belt and retrieved her pistol. She put a bullet in the man’s head before he could cry out.

 

The fourth and fifth members of the mob attacked at once, and Julie felt metal prongs shear her flesh as she attempted to roll out of the way. She impaled one and shot the second in the gut, but she was now wounded and bleeding from a gash in her leg.

 

The crack of her pistol had drawn the dogs, and the air was soon alive with angry barking. Julie was set upon by three hounds with dead, glassy eyes and jagged maws hanging open. She felt the tide of the battle beginning to turn against her. She cut down the first undead dog in two strokes, but one of the others sank its teeth into her arm. She cried out and raised her blade to kill the beast. That’s when she felt lead shot slam into her back.

 

She was thrown forward, dropping her sword. She snatched her knife from her belt, but she was off-balance. Another shot, this time into her shoulder. Julie tumbled to the ground, time seeming to slow down as she fell. She leveled her pistol at the rifleman that had appeared on the scene and pulled the trigger, but before she saw him fall the hounds were at her throat.

 

Julie opened her eyes and found herself sitting upright in a chair. The sudden silence was unnerving. Before her was an age-weathered desk with a tea set upon it. Behind the desk, a massive bookshelf that extended to the vaulted ceiling. A kettle sat steaming before her next to a stack of dusty tomes. Julie poured herself a cup and sipped it slowly. She cast her glance around the room and took it in.

 

To her left, another desk stacked high with books. To her right, an altar covered with a bloodstained cloth and sixteen burning candles. She knew this place.

 

_ “Welcome home, good Hunter.” _

 

The voice came seemingly out of thin air, but Julie knew to what it belonged.

 

Julie didn’t look up.

 

_ “Why do you look so forlorn?”  _ The Doll said.  _ “Is this dream not as you would have it?” _

 

Julie said nothing. She felt a cold hand settle upon her shoulder.

 

_ “Take caution, good Hunter. Your path will be arduous before all is said and done. You may return here, should you need to.” _

 

The presence of the Doll was at once soothing and immensely saddening. It was the creation of the former guardian of the Hunter’s Dream, to serve as a companion for his eternal watch. It served all the Hunters who occupied the bizarre pocket realm known as the Hunter’s Dream. It tended to each and every one of their graves.

 

Julie had once called this place her sanctuary, long ago and far away. The workshop was not a place she would describe as ‘homey’, but it had been a sanctuary from the brutish realities of the Hunt.

 

Julie turned to address the doll and choked back a shriek.

 

The Doll had always been beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. It was cast as a likeness to a student of the former guardian of the Dream, every nuance of human flesh rendered in detail out of whatever otherworldly materials the Doll was composed of. Were it not for its constant acknowledgement that it wasn’t human, one could almost believe it was.

 

The Doll did not look like that now.

 

It wore the same dress, the same cloak, and the same bonnet, woven from the same silky fabric. But the shape of it was all wrong. Too short. Too narrow. Julie looked into its face and felt bitter tears in her eyes.

 

It was Penny.

 

No. No, no, no. Julie shook her head violently and came to her feet.

 

_ “Good Hunter.”  _ Penny’s visage said without moving its lips.  _ “Does this form not suit you?” _

 

All Julie could do was shake her head. She backed up and bumped into the desk, sending a stack of books tumbling down.

 

_ “I am here in this dream to look after you.”  _ The Doll said. “ _ You will face the Hunt, and I will be here for you to embolden your sickly spirit.” _

 

Julie could hear the Doll’s voice in the back of her mind. She clutched a hand to her head and shook it. She began to feel dizzy.

 

_ “This Dream is your shelter. The coming days will be a trial. Should you fall, you may return here. _

 

Julie looked up and then cast her gaze away. She couldn’t bear the sight of the Doll.

 

“I just want to wake up.” She murmured. The dizziness wasn’t passing, and she soon found herself collapsing to a knee. Cold hands rested on her shoulders.

 

_ “Farewell, good Hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.” _

 

Julie awoke with a start, the image of the doll’s face still burned into her mind. 

 

A dream. It had all been a dream.

 

Julie took a few moments to breathe deeply and exhale, doing her best to avoid the constricting sensation she felt in her chest.

 

She couldn’t see, but she felt weight surrounding her. Penny lay to one side of her, Maru to the other. There was no space whatsoever left on the bed, but the three fit snugly. Julie tried to steady her breathing so as to not wake Penny and Maru. The room was still dark.

 

She stared up at the roof of Maru’s room, trying to reorient herself. She could no longer hear the patter of the rain outside. No surprise. It never rained on a Festival day.

 

She thought about her nightmare. Such a thing could never come to pass. She had left the workshop and the Dream behind when she’d fled into the maze. She had escaped. She was free. She felt as though she needed to tell herself this at least once a day, as if taking it for granted would suddenly rip it all from her hands.

 

She thought about the mermaid’s pendant tucked into her bag, and it brought her a little peace of mind. This ordeal would be over soon and they would move on from it. They would replace the locks on the doors and do everything they could to help catch the perpetrator. Circumstances would sort themselves out eventually. Then, when the moment was right, Julie would ask the question.

 

The idea of proposing brought a certain thrill to it, as well as a fair bit of anxiety. It was a big step, but she felt that she was (mostly) ready. The incident that evening had shaken Julie and thrown a wrench into her plans, but she would un-wrench the situation soon enough. They would go to the Mayor and get his assistance. Julie wasn’t sure how much he would be able to do, but being a cult leader had to prove  advantageous in circumstances such as these.

 

Julie took a deep breath. There would be time for all of that later. For now, she was focused on staying huddled between her girls for as long as she could. She couldn’t see the clock from where she lay, but she guessed it to be somewhere in the early hours of the morning. Julie let a quiet sigh escape her lips.

 

It was going to be a long day.


	6. Rest and Reconnaissance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie and Penny track down Mayor Lewis to ask for his assistance.

Julie drifted for a while in the foggy haze that usually followed waking up. She didn’t want to wake the girls, so she just kept still, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of their breathing. They were both safe. She could rest easy for now.

 

She lay with her loves for a very long time, whispering a silent prayer in thanks. She had survived the ordeal of this afternoon and she had those she cared for nearby. She now had several daunting questions that she had to deal with, but such was life. She was still alive.

 

She would deal with things in a few hours. Now was the time for rest.

 

Strange thoughts came to her in the early hours. She thought about Penny and Maru, and how safe they made her feel. She thought about her home, empty and dark as it was. When would it be safe to return? s he thought about the stars she could see out of Maru’s bedroom window. Who else stood looking at those stars? How many of those celestial pinpricks shined down on life of their own?

 

She pondered for a good long while, until the first hints of light began to tinge the sky. IT was almost time to get up. Almost, but not quite.

 

Sometime in the morning, Penny began to stir. She had formed a koala-like grip on Julie’s good arm in her sleep and Julie had more or less resolved to stay where she was in the name of letting Penny remain peacefully dreaming a little longer.

 

Julie’s nose began to itch, but she hadn’t an arm to scratch it. She scrunched her face in a vain attempt to satisfy the itch before giving up and rubbing the tip of her nose against the edge of the pillowcase.

 

Eventually, Penny woke up enough that she relinquished Julie’s arm. Julie began to rotate her shoulder in order to work some feeling back into her limbs. Penny yawned and nuzzled back against Julie.

 

“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

 

“I slept okay.” She lied. “How about you?”

 

“I’m still beat, but I’ll feel better once I get some coffee. You want to come with me to the kitchen?”

 

“Sure.” Said Julie. “Let me just make a detour to the restroom to change my bandages and I’ll meet up with you.”

 

“Okay. Sounds good.”

 

Penny got up, stretched out, and ambled out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Julie to slowly get out of bed. Julie got to her feet and carefully tread across the room so she wouldn’t wake Maru. She went to the first aid kit on Maru’s desk and retrieved a roll of gauze and some alcohol wipes before tip-toeing out of the room, closing the door behind her.

 

Once in the hallway, Julie made her way to the bathroom to clean up. She began the long process of removing the bloodied bandages and replacing them with fresh ones. The wrapping stuck to her wounds, and several times when she peeled off the gauze it took bits of skin with it.

 

She sanitized her wounds, first the slash across her shoulder and then the cut along her side. The cuts were jagged and difficult to treat, but Julie managed to get her wounds cleaned and dressed with minimal hissing and swearing. This accomplished, she used the toilet and washed her hands in the sink before flicking off the lights and heading down the hall to join Penny.

 

Julie found Penny in the kitchen. As she approached, Penny took a sip of her coffee and gave Julie a warm smile.

 

“Your coffee is over here!” Penny said, indicating a steaming mug sitting next to her on the counter. “Just how you like it: Cream and no sugar.”

 

Julie gratefully accepted the mug and took a long sip.

 

Ahh, caffeine.

 

She lowered her coffee and gave Penny a kiss.

 

“Good morning, love. Thank you for the coffee.”

 

Penny smiled.

 

“It was no trouble at all! How are you feeling? Do your cuts still hurt?”

 

In truth, Julie ached like the proverbial dickens and her wounds were beginning to stiffen. On top of that, she was still tired. However, Julie gave her arms a slightly wooden rotation and announced that she felt mostly fine.

 

“Nothing to complain about.” She said. “I’ve certainly had worse.” 

 

Penny gave her a look that suggested she knew precisely how terrible Julie felt but she thankfully said nothing, instead sipping from her own drink and then changing the subject.

 

“So, the Mayor will be in town most of the day helping with setting up the festival. We need to find him and report the break-in.”

 

Julie nodded, though she wasn’t sure how the Mayor would be able to help. He was more than meets the eye, as most cult leaders were, but how would he be able to resolve their current situation? Were there police in this realm to call? As far as Julie could tell, the closest thing to a lawman Pelican Town had was their resident sword-toting lesbian. And she did  _ not  _ like the idea of being responsible for the entire town’s safety with a masked rogue on the loose.

 

“We’ll corner Lewis the first chance we get and tell him what happened. He has to take us seriously.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“After that, we’ll come meet back up with Maru and get our Festival attire together.”

 

Julie wasn’t sure how she felt about attending the festival. It sounded like fun, but she wasn’t sure she was in the right place for ‘fun’. She was rattled. It was hardly the first attempt someone had made on her life, but to have been attacked in her own home was a special kind of low.

 

“Are we sure about going tonight?” Julie asked. “I mean, I want to and all but…”

 

She trailed off.

 

“We don’t have to if you’re not feeling up to it.” Penny said comfortingly. “I’m more than happy to stay in with you tonight if that’s what you’d rather do. I just thought it might be safer to be in town, around the lights and everyone else. Safety in numbers, you know?”

 

Julie frowned. She had a very good point.

 

“That might be best, actually.” Julie said, slowly. “Sorry, I guess I’m just skittish.”

 

Penny placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“That’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.”

 

Penny leaned forward to give Julie a hug then hesitated, remembering her shoulder and side wounds. Instead, she gently placed a kiss to Julie’s cheek.

 

“Hey.” She looked Julie in the eye. “I love you.”

 

Julie kissed her in return.

 

“I love you, too. We’re gonna get through this.”

 

Penny smiled and nodded.

 

“Together. First, we report the break-in. Then we can tackle whether or not we want to go to the Festival.”

 

Julie felt a little better. At least they had a plan.

 

“Sounds good.” She said. “For now, what should we do about breakfast?”

 

“Well, Robin was in a minute ago, and she told me we were welcome to make ourselves food. I was going to make pancakes! I’ll make enough that we can bring some to Maru when she wakes up.”

 

Julie smiled.

 

“That sounds great. Thank you!”

 

Penny returned the smile.

 

“Of course! Now you sit down at the table and drink your coffee. I’ll have some hot food ready in a jiffy!”

 

Penny set about retrieving pancake mix from the cupboard. Julie sat down at the kitchen table and sipped her drink.

 

She watched Penny cook with admiration in her eyes. Julie felt just off terrible, but Penny’s positivity in the face of adversity was helping to keep Julie’s mood from souring. Julie’s eyes followed her partner as she went about preparing breakfast. She smiled. Things weren’t all bad.

 

The pancakes were light and fluffy. Penny served Julie and herself a plate and then prepared a third for Maru and left it on the counter. A few minutes into their meal, a door opened down the hall and a bleary-eyed Maru emerged from her room in her pajamas, drawn by the smell of food.

 

The three of them sat around the table and shared a meal. It was rare that Julie had the pleasure of having the two of them so close. The little moments of domesticity they shared gave Julie life. Circumstances be damned, they were together.

 

“Julie?” Maru asked. “How are your wounds feeling?”

 

“I cleaned and wrapped them a little while ago. The bleeding has stopped and they’re starting to heal.”

 

“Do you mind if I take a look at them after we eat?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

They ate in silence for a while longer. Julie stood up and placed her plate in the sink. She rinsed it off, scrubbed it, and loaded it into Maru’s dishwasher.

 

Dishes taken care of, Julie and Maru went back to Maru’s room. With the door closed behind them, Julie pulled off the T-shirt she had slept in and allowed Maru to go about examining her wounds.

 

“These seem to be healing alright.” Maru said, examining the slash on Julie’s shoulder. “I would definitely limit your arm motion until it knits together a bit more. Beyond that, treat it regularly and you should be fine in a few days. I really wish we could have stitched it, but the time for that has passed.”

 

She looked Julie in the eyes.

 

“Please take care of yourself. I know your life has been a bit rough-and-tumble the last few days but you won’t do yourself any favors by getting an infection.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“I will. I promise.”

 

Maru pulled her in for a kiss.

 

“Good. I don’t want to lose you.”

 

She finished her examination.

 

“I think you’re looking okay. Just remember to change the bandages before the festival tonight. I’ll help you.”

 

Julie fixed her with a grateful look.

 

“Thank you, dear. I couldn’t ask for a better nurse.”

 

Julie got her shirt back on with minimal fuss and changed from her leggings into jeans. Maru opened the door for her and they walked down the hallway together.

 

Penny was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book. She put it away when Julie and Maru entered.

 

“Ready to go?” She asked. “I’ll admit, I’m anxious to get this sorted.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Ready when you are.” She said. She turned to Maru. “We’ll be back before too long.”

 

“Okay.” Said Maru. “Take care. I’m sure Rasmodius will be about, setting up the maze and all. I’d advise you to steer clear of him. The last thing you need is magical trouble.”

 

They embraced, as did Maru and Penny.

 

“You two come back to me safe, you got it?”

 

“Got it. See you in a little while. We’ll be back!”

 

They opened the front door and stepped out into the sunshine.

 

It took Julie a minute or two to adjust to the sunlight and the brilliant blue sky. Penny more or less lead her by the hand down the mountain path that led to town. By the time Julie’s sight returned to her, they  were passing the Community Center. Julie and Penny waved at the empty windows, as was their custom.

 

When they arrived at the edge of town, they found a wooden sign in the middle of the path, declaring that the town square was closed for festival preparation.

 

“I don’t see anyone around.” Penny remarked. “I suppose we could just keep walking? Mayor Lewis has to be around here somewhere.”

 

After a moment’s hesitation, they passed the sign. They hurried their pace now that they were technically engaged in civil disobedience, creeping up behind the general store and casting glances around like two people who knew they weren’t supposed to be where they were.

 

Julie hear the sound of a window opening.

 

“Psst! Julie!”

 

Julie looked around in alarm, but she relaxed when she saw Abigail peeking out of her bedroom window. Julie and Penny crept to the window.

 

“Hey.” Julie said.

 

“Hi.” Penny said.

 

“Whatcha doing? Looks sneaky.”

 

Julie lowered her voice.

 

“We’re sneaking onto the Festival grounds. We need to talk to the Mayor and it can’t wait until tonight.”

 

“I see. Well my dad is around the front of the store, just for your information. I wouldn’t let him see you, he’ll talk your ear off and then try to sell you something.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Duly noted. Is there any way you could distract him for like, five minutes?”

 

Abigail thought it over.

 

“Yeah, I could pretend to need help with something in the shop. Head around the side and listen for me. You’ll have to move quickly.”

 

“Got it. Thanks, Abby.”

 

“Hey, no problem. I’m glad to help you rebel. Good luck with whatever you’re doing!”

 

She climbed down away from the window.

 

Julie looked around the corner and spotted a splotch of green amid the colors of fall. The Mayor. He was walking toward the other end of town, and Julie and Penny watched him go and looked to each other.

 

It was time for sneaking.

 

They crept around the edge of the general store until they came to the corner. There they stopped and waited, listening.

 

“Dad?” Came Abigail’s voice from inside the shop. “The cash register won’t shut!”

 

They heard a noise of exasperation from Pierre and then the creaky swing of the door.

 

“Go, go!” Julie whispered.

 

Julie and Penny darted across the street and rounded the corner of the Stardrop Saloon. They could still see the Mayor retreating to the east. He was probably heading to his manor.

 

They stooped low and walked quickly, trying to draw as little attention as possible. Julie was surprised at how well Penny took to sneaking about. She moved quickly and made very little noise when she walked.

 

They arrived at the Mayor’s house just as they heard the front door shut. They were going to have to go in. Julie stepped up and put her hand on the doorknob. After a moment’s hesitation and a deep breath, she opened the door slowly.

 

The Mayor turned around at the sound of the door, mildly startled. Julie went in first, shortly followed by Penny.

 

“Lewis.” Julie said. “We need to talk.”

 

The mayor adjusted his cap.

 

“Why if it isn’t Julie and Penny! I must say, you gave me a scare coming in like that. What can I help you with?”

 

“Our house was broken into yesterday. The intruder tried to kill me.”

 

The Mayor’s eyes went wide.

 

“My word, that’s terrible! Who would do such a thing?”

 

Julie hesitated.

 

“I’m… Not sure. It was dark, so I didn’t get a good look at them when they attacked me. But I need you to spread the word to everyone in town: Be careful. Lock all doors and windows. That sort of thing.”

 

The Mayor looked grim.

 

“I’ll inform everyone to be on their guard. This misfortune couldn’t have come at a worse time. Will you still be attending tonight’s festival?”

 

“We were thinking about it.” Julie said. “If only because it’s probably safer to be around everyone else.”

 

The Mayor nodded sagely.

 

“That sounds like a good idea. I’m glad to hear you might be joining us! As for the break-in, I will see to it personally that the losses will be covered. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this.”

 

Julie felt a bit better now that they had a formal offer of help. She still had no idea what to do about her assailant, however.

 

“What about the person who broke in?” Julie asked.

 

Mayor Lewis looked uncomfortable.

 

“I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of law enforcement here in Pelican Town. You could always hire a detective from the city, but their rates are pretty steep.”

 

Julie pondered for a moment. She didn’t like it, but it was starting to seem like she would have to deal with the matter herself.

 

“I’ll have to investigate myself, then.” She said, thinking aloud. Penny gave her a very worried look.

 

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Penny said. “You don’t need to be galavanting off and putting yourself into more danger! We can hire a detective if we need to, we have the money.”

 

Julie said nothing, but nodded in a conciliatory fashion. She didn’t know how to tell Penny that she was almost broke. Not now, she decided.

 

“Okay, okay.” Julie said. “I will not galavant, you have my word.”

 

Penny looked relieved.

 

“If you decide to go that route, let me know.” Mayor Lewis said. “We have a reserve in the town coffers for emergencies, and I’d say this qualifies. I can reimburse you.”

 

Julie was both surprised by and thankful for the Mayor’s offer. She didn’t have the heart to admit her savings were down to less than 1000 gold.

 

“Thank you, sir.” Penny said with relief splashed across her face. “It means a lot that you’d help us in our time of need.”

 

“I want this town to be safe and prosperous.” Said Lewis. “That includes you two.”

 

Julie felt less horrifically anxious. They had a plan and the funds to see it through. Hopefully that would be enough to set her mind at ease.

 

“Now, I don’t want to be rude, but do you two have somewhere to stay? I really must be getting back to festival preparation. There’s still so much work to do, and-

 

There was a knock at the door. All three fell silent. Julie felt her anxiety flare. She looked to the Mayor, who was staring at the door with the best poker face her could muster.

 

“Come in.”

 

The door creaked open, and sunlight flooded the room. As Julie’s eyes adjusted to the light, through the doorway stepped Marnie.

 

“Louie?” She called in a slightly singsong voice. “I’m here to return your ‘lucky shorts’, but you’ll have to behave if you want them ba-”

 

Her gaze shifted from the mortified expression on the Mayor’s face to the stock-still forms of Julie and Penny. She fell silent.

 

“Oh.” Marnie said, color flooding her face. “Ahem. Julie. Penny. Good to see you, as always.”

 

“Likewise.”

 

She hesitated before beginning to speak.

 

“Erm, I’m just here to… Help the Mayor with…”

 

“Festival preparation.” The Mayor said flatly.

 

“Festival preparation! Naturally.”

 

Julie rubbed her temple with one hand.

 

“Marnie, we’re all adults here.” Said Penny. “We know what’s up.”

 

Marnie opened her mouth to protest and promptly shut it again.

 

Penny looked at Marnie.

 

“I assume Jas is coming with you?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Okay. Give Robin or Maru a call if you need to get ahold of me.”

 

“Speaking of, we’ll be heading back to Maru’s.” Julie said, edging towards the door and holding back a chuckle. “You two enjoy your ‘festival preparation’.”

 

The Mayor and Marnie just flushed with color and began looking anywhere but at each other. They looked like teenagers.

 

The Mayor snapped out of it and went to a desk drawer to retrieve a pouch of gold. He counted out coins of various denominations and put them in their own, smaller pouch. He strode across the room and handed the smaller pouch to Julie. She glanced inside and counted out roughly 2,000.

 

“For repairs to your home, or whatever else you need it for.”

 

The Mayor made eye contact with Julie and gave her an inquisitive look. Julie gave him the tiniest of nods. He smiled.

 

“We’ll see you ladies tonight.” The Mayor said. “Safe travels back to the mountains!”

 

Julie and Penny were shuffled outside into the sunshine. Julie heard the door close behind them and the sound of a lock turning. It was probably best to vacate the area.

 

They rounded the corner and crept along the front of the Stardrop Saloon. Penny made a disdainful face.

 

“Julie?” She said hesitantly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but can we make a quick detour inside the Saloon? Word of the break-in is going to spread and I need to let my mom know I’m okay. It’s the afternoon, so that’s probably where she is.”

 

Julie put a hand on Penny’s shoulder.

 

“Of course, hon. Let’s go.”

 

Julie pushed open the heavy door slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the Saloon. The place was mostly empty, save for three people. Gus, as usual, stood at his post behind the bar. Pam sat slouched over the end of the bar, staring into her glass of beer. The only occupied table had Leah sat at one end, listlessly poking at a salad with a fork.

 

“Miss Julie!” Gus called out. “So good to see you! It’s been ages! And Miss Penny! What a lovely surprise.”

 

At the mention of Penny’s name, Pam looked up from her glass of beer.

 

Penny was already moving across the room. She strode right up to the bar and wrapped her mother in a hug. Pam looked surprised, but she returned the hug.

 

“Yesterday was so awful.” Penny said. “Our house was broken into!”

 

“What?” Pam said, pushing her drink away from her. “Who-”

 

“We don’t know.” Penny said. “We’re not sure what they took or what they wanted, but they attacked Julie. I came home from watching the kids and…” 

 

She trailed off as her voice began to break. She hugged her mother again. Pam returned the hug and looked over Penny’s shoulder at Julie. Her bandages were ever so slightly visible in her current attire. Pam nodded to her, a grateful look on her face. Julie nodded back.

 

Penny released her grip and wiped a tear from her eye.

 

“We’re staying at Maru’s until we can figure out what to do.” She said with a sniffle. “The house is so busy no-one could sneak in unnoticed.”

 

Pam nodded.

 

“Oh. That sounds sensible. You’re more than welcome to your old room, if you need it.” Pam said.

 

Penny said nothing.

 

“Speaking of Maru,” Julie said. “she’s expecting us back soon.”

 

Penny nodded.

 

“We should be going.”

 

“Of course.” Said Pam. “I’ll uh… I’ll see you two tonight.”

 

With a parting hug to Penny and another nod to Julie, Pam went back to her drink. Julie and Penny looked to Leah, who was doing her best to not look like she’d been listening to the conversation.

 

“Hey, Leah.” Julie said. “Sorry we don’t have time to stay and chat. We’ll see you tonight, though!”

 

“Oh, it’s okay.” Leah said. “You have somewhere to be. I’m only here myself so I don’t have to be at home.”

 

Julie frowned.

 

“Is creepy shit still happening?”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“I’m losing food. Like, lots of food. My pantry is depleting faster than ever and I  _ know  _ I haven’t been going through things that fast. I’ve been spending more and more time here because I feel unwelcome in my  own house.”

 

Julie leaned down and gave her a hug.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. As soon as I figure out my own baffling mystery I promise I’ll help you with yours.”

 

Leah looked grateful.

 

“That means a lot to me. I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through such a hard time.”

 

“We’ll get through it. Call Maru’s if you need to get ahold of us.”

 

Penny leaned in and gave Leah a hug as well. Leah smiled, and Julie thought she saw just a little color come to Leah’s cheeks.

 

With that, they bid Gus goodbye and crossed back to the door. Julie pushed it open and they stepped out into the sunlight.

 

They took a back way to get back to Maru’s, crossing along the sides of several houses. They took a set of stairs that led them up to the Community Center and on to the mountains. By the time Maru’s house was in sight, the sun was beginning to sink in the sky, tinging the clouds with fiery orange.

 

Julie admired the scenery as they walked. The leaves drifting on the breeze, the birds sailing through the air, the brilliant reds and oranges on the trees. It was a beautiful Fall.

 

Julie’s hand slipped into Penny’s. They walked in silence for a while, taking in their surroundings and enjoying each other’s company. Julie felt better than she had this morning. The town would be warned. Julie would be able to repair their home. She would get to attend a festival tonight with two of her loved ones. Things weren’t so bad.

 

When they arrived at Maru’s, they went straight to the door that led into her room and knocked. Maru answered and welcomed them inside.

 

“Hey!” She said. “Come on in! I was just admiring my festival costume. Emily really outdid herself this time.”

 

She gestured to the outfit spread across her bed. It was a magnificent dark blue/green, and it bore the same shimmery fabric and ‘armor’ plating as Julie and Penny’s costumes. They were going to be quite a trio.

 

Julie went and retrieved her bag from the floor, taking out the bundles of cloth and metal within. Penny took hers with an excited gasp.

 

“This material is something else! And I love the knight motif.”

 

“We must find Emily at the festival tonight”Said Julie. “I’m sure she’d love to see her work on display.”

 

“How does she find time to do all this?” Penny wondered aloud.

 

Maru spoke up.

 

“Before that,” she said “who wants to have dinner?”

 

Julie’s stomach was beginning to rumble.

 

“I’m all for food. Turkey burgers, I believe you said?”

 

Maru nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Yup! Let’s head to the kitchen and I’ll start the grub!”

 

The three found their way to the kitchen and Maru set about making food. Julie sat at a chair at the table, looking out the window. It was getting darker. They’d be heading out for the Festival soon. 

 

Julie tried not to dread it.

 

Maru’s cooking was delicious. They turkey was lean and spicy and the lettuce was crisp and fresh. The three ate and chatted while Robin buzzed around working on various things around the house.

 

It was nice, while it lasted.

 

Soon night fell proper, the clock chiming out each passing hour with a slightly ominous tone. Seven. Eight. The dishes were washed and put away and the girls retreated back into Maru’s room to get changed.

 

“Okay, we should leave for town in about an hour.” Said Maru. “That’ll give us time to go around and say hi to everyone and then hit the maze.

 

Julie gulped. She hated mazes. She had almost lost her sanity in one, and she associated them with plague rats. She was sure that they would understand if she opted out of the maze, but she didn’t want to curb their evening. She didn’t bring it up.

 

Instead, she went to her bag and quickly slipped the mermaid’s pendant into one of her pockets. It was surprisingly heavy for a seashell, and she could just barely make out the outline through her costume. It mattered little. She had pockets and by the Goddess she was going to use them.

 

The hour grew late, and it was almost time to go. Dressed in their knightly attire, the three convened in the lobby. Robin and Demetrius had left already and Sebastian was arriving intentionally late, so they would be on their own. Maru grabbed her spare key and Julie made sure her sword was strapped to her person. 

 

“Everyone ready?” Maru asked.

 

Julie and Penny shared a look and then nodded. 

 

Maru opened the door and they stepped out into the chilly air. In the distance they could see the walls of a tall hedge maze and the lights of the town twinkling.

 

Julie took a deep breath and grabbed Penny and Maru’s hands.

 

Spirit’s Eve had begun.


	7. The Witching Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie, Penny, and Maru attempt the Haunted Maze.

Julie, Penny, and Maru walked briskly through the dark. Julie kept up an appearance of enthusiasm to hide her anxiety. It would do her no good to get paranoid this early in the night.

 

Of course, she didn’t necessarily consider it paranoia if someone was actually out to get her.

 

They passed the Community Center, quiet and still. Julie and Penny waved, and after a few moments confusion, Maru did the same.

 

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she heard a creak from deep within the building, loud enough to be heard from where they stood. It seemed as if the old structure was drawing in its breath.

 

They kept up their pace all the way to the General Store, where Pierre had set up a kiosk. He was currently in the process of enticing poor Jodi to buy a pre-carved jack-o-lantern. Caroline stood beside the stall with a hand to her temple. Vincent stood tugging on Jodi’s sleeve until he caught sight of Penny.

 

“Miss Penny! Miss Penny!”

 

Penny smiled at him and walked over.

 

“Hello, Vincent!” She said. “How are you enjoying the Festival so far?”

 

Vincent pouted.

 

“Mom won’t let me go in the haunted maze.”

 

Jodi, mid-transaction, looked over.

 

“It’s too scary for children!” She said. 

 

“You let Sam go!”

 

“I’m sorry dear, but you’ll just have to wait until you’re a little older.”

 

“Aww, Mom!”

 

It was then that Julie noticed his costume. He wore a jumper made of thick white fabric.

 

“Hey, I like your costume!” Julie said. “What are you?”

 

Vincent’s face lit up.

 

“I’m a spaceman!”

 

The girls let out appropriate ‘ooh’s. Jodi looked at them and smiled.

 

“You kids go have fun.” She said. “Penny, dear, it was good to see you. Enjoy your night off!”

 

Penny nodded.

 

“I will, thanks!”

 

The three excused themselves and headed for the lights across the square. Underneath a halo of burning lanterns and candles, the townsfolk had assembled a veritable smorgasbord of food and drink. Roasted turkey, glazed yams, potatoes of all shapes and sizes. The smell alone drew Julie and Maru like a magnet.

 

Off to the side of the tables were massive iron cages. Within were upright walking skeletons, their hollow eye sockets staring vacantly at the sky. Why they were there, Julie couldn’t fathom. Perhaps as extra decoration? It seemed a bit much, especially so close to the food. Julie tried to avoid looking at them.

 

Once in the town square, they ran into Leah. She was dressed in a flowing toga woven of dark green cloth and her long red hair was done up and braided ornately. She was standing next to the buffet tables with a drink in her hand.

 

“Hey, you three!” Leah called out when she saw them. “Good to see you! Have you tried this punch? It’s really good.”

 

“Haven’t had the pleasure.” Said Julie. “But I’ll try it!”

 

Leah passed her a cup and offered one to Penny and Maru, who both declined. Julie took a sip and tasted a strong bitter undercurrent. This was definitely alcoholic.

 

Julie handed Leah the cup back. She didn’t mind alcohol much, but she didn’t like drinking around Penny.

 

“Thanks, I think I’m good. Also, I really dig your costume!” Julie said to Leah. “Did you commission it from Emily?”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“Yup! I don’t know where she finds the time to do all this. Speaking of, I like yours as well! It’s so cute that you all match.”

 

Julie saw Leah’s eyes go to the gleaming edge of Julie’s sword, still at her hip.

 

“Are you on watch tonight?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“I am. Anything shady happens, call out for me, okay?” She said to Leah. “I’ll try not to go too far.”

 

Leah looked relieved.

 

“Can do. I’m sure tonight will be fun, I just need to relax. Thank you, Julie. Will you be attempting the maze?”

 

“That’s what we were thinking.”

 

Leah took another sip of punch.

 

“I’ll leave you to it, it’s a little too freaky for me. Especially after this week.”

 

Julie nodded. She almost wished she was doing the same.

 

“No worries! We can always meet up after we tackle the maze.”

 

They chatted for a few more minutes. Julie could see that Leah was nervous. Julie leaned in and lowered her voice.

 

“You okay?”

 

Leah looked like she was almost about to say she was fine, but she hesitated.

 

“It’s just been a weird couple of days. I’m still having nightmares, and I’ve taken to going to the Saloon almost every night to avoid staying at home.”

 

Julie gave her a brief hug that she accepted gratefully.

 

“I don’t like that I’m letting myself get so anxious this early in the night.”

 

Another sip.

 

“At any rate,” Leah said, pushing on. “All three of you look lovely.”

 

She looked over their costumes again. Julie thought she saw Leah’s gaze linger on Penny for a few extra moments, but it could have been nothing.

 

Not that Julie would have blamed her. Penny looked stunning in her costume. Julie was having trouble not staring herself.

 

“Well I’ll let you three get back to it.” Leah said. “Thanks for stopping to chat!”

 

Julie glanced around the table and made eye contact with Elliot.

 

“Julie!”He said. “There you are! Are you alright?”

 

Julie seemed to be getting that question quite a bit lately.

 

“I went to your farm yesterday, but I didn’t see you or Penny anywhere. I got the rest of the pumpkins loaded into your shipping bin, then I went to the door to knock. I got no answer, but I could have sworn I saw something moving inside when I peeked in through the window.”

 

Julie felt a chill run down her spine.

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to get ahold of you.” Julie said. “We stayed at Maru’s last night, some shit kind of went down.”

 

Elliot raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

“Someone broke into our house.” Julie said. “I caught them going through our things and they drew a weapon on me when I confronted them. They ran when Penny got home, but they got a few good hits in. I have no idea what they took, if anything.”

 

Julie gestured to her bandaged shoulder.

 

Elliot raised a hand to his mouth and let out a small gasp.

 

“That’s terrible! One’s home is supposed to be a safe haven. I hope you’re granted a bit more peace in the future.”

 

“Thanks. I’m sorry you had to do all that work in the rain. I’ll reimburse you for your time.”

 

Elliot held up a hand and shook his head.

 

“I couldn’t take money from you after the ordeal you’ve been through. You can pay me back later.”

 

They shook on it, and Julie made a mental note to set aside some funds for Elliot’s payment. Lugging around pumpkins in the rain was a somewhat unenviable task, to say nothing of the shadowy presence lurking about.

 

“I appreciate it.” Julie said.

 

“Think nothing of it.” Said Elliot. He looked over his shoulder at the hedges in the distance. “Will you be braving the maze?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“That’s the plan. Are you?”

 

Elliot shook his head.

 

“Too spooky for my nerves. I’m staying here and enjoying the festive atmosphere. I might just sit at this table with Leah and jot down story notes.”

 

He took a sip of punch.

 

“Good luck to you!” He said, trying to sound optimistic. “I never made it far in on my previous attempts, so I can’t really offer you advice. Just be on your guard, I suppose.”

 

Julie nodded again.

 

After a  few more minutes of idle chatter, they bid Leah and Elliot goodbye and began picking their way across the crowd to the entrance of the maze.

 

They got maybe fifteen feet before they were stopped again, this time by Emily. She was dressed in a flowing burgundy gown that made her look like a visiting dignitary

 

“Oh my goodness, you three look amazing!” She said as soon as she caught sight of them. “I’m so thrilled to see the costumes together! And Julie, the sword is a nice touch.”

 

Julie rested a hand lightly on the hilt. At least it matched her outfit for once.

 

“Thanks. I, uh… I stole it.”

 

Was looting a corpse considered stealing?

 

Emily looked like she didn’t know how to react, so Julie changed the subject.

 

“We love the pockets.” Julie said. “It’s so nice to have something both stylish and functional. And it’s not too heavy! I can’t tell you how much my old Hunter gear weighs on a person.”

 

Emily glowed with pride.

 

“I’m so glad you like them! It was worth every ounce of effort to see you three together. You radiate a very positive energy.”

 

Julie smiled. ‘Positive energy’ was a trait she hadn’t possessed lately, but being near Penny and Maru in the light of the lamp posts made it seem possible. She had to admit, she was having fun.

 

“I’m going to go and get some food.” Said Emily. “But it was wonderful chatting with you! Enjoy the maze!”

 

“We will!” Said Penny brightly.

 

They got another few feet and waved hello to Gus and Pam, who were seated at a table  out near the edge of the crowd. Gus appeared to be explaining something about a dish while Pam seemed more occupied  with eating.

 

When they drew close enough, Pam set down her plate momentarily and called her daughter over.

 

“Pen! Come here and let me see you! That’s quite an outfit.”

 

She looked at Julie and Maru, who were lingering a few feet away.

 

“What are you three supposed to be?”

 

“I believe Emily called us the ‘Cosmic Knights’.” Said Julie.

 

Pam nodded.

 

“Well I like it. You kids have fun tonight, you hear? Just stay safe.”

 

Penny nodded back.

 

“Of course, Mom. We will.”

 

Penny stepped back and took Julie’s hand. Pam smiled. For how coarse she could be at first glance, Pam had warmed up to Julie significantly. There had been a bit of a to-do when Julie had asked Penny to come live with her, but Pam had eventually relented. She was opinionated,  but she valued her daughter’s happiness. 

 

“Alright, get outta here. Go have fun.”

 

She gave a nod to Penny and went back to her plate.

 

Penny looked over at Julie.

 

“Are you ready to hit the maze?”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”

 

This would be her last chance to bail out and tell Penny and Maru she wasn’t feeling up to it. She knew they would understand, but she kept quiet. The girls had been looking forward to this for ages, and Julie wanted to experience it with them.

 

The trio arrived at the entrance to the haunted maze. Before them stretched an expanse of hedges that seemed to run all the way back to the Community Center. Somewhere in the middle was the big prize. Julie hoped they wouldn’t have to navigate too long to find it.

 

“Well, here we go.” Said Maru, rubbing her hands together. “Do we start to the left or to the right?”

 

Julie looked in both directions. Leaves rustled in the breeze, giving the entire maze the illusion of steady breathing. Julie gulped. She felt as though she were walking into the mouth of some great green beast.

 

“Let’s try going to the left.” Said Penny.

 

No one had a better plan, so left they went. They walked slowly in a triangle formation with Julie and Penny in the rear. Every time they came to a turn, Maru retrieved a notepad and pen from her pocket and began jotting down directions. Julie admired her ingenuity.

 

They came across their first dead end, occupied by a nervous-looking Doctor Harvey. He was dressed in his usual green coat and brown tie, but he had wrapped toilet paper around himself in a few spots, presumably in an attempt at looking like a mummy.

 

“Oh. Hello.” He said with a nervous gulp. “I, uh, don’t really have the heart for this maze. I think I’m just going to wait here until the festival is over. Please don’t tell anyone I’m here.”

 

Maru sighed and rubbed her temples.

 

“Sure thing, Harvey.”

 

He nodded, as though that was their cue to vacate his hiding spot. The trio moved on.

 

They ran across another dead end, this one occupied by a lone jack-o-lantern carved to resemble a grave. After a minute or two of note-taking, Maru led them back to the entrance with only one missed turn. When they caught sight of the stone pillars that had marked the beginning of the maze, they took the path leading right/east.

 

This time, the path continued, and they walked in eerie silence for several minutes. The night was growing later, and a fine mist curled off the ground like ghosts rising from beneath the earth. Julie could have sworn she heard a dog howl in the distance.

 

She kept a light grip on Penny’s hand with her left hand while the other drifted towards her sword every time a noise rang out through the night. She needed to calm down, but she felt an undeniable sensation of being watched. But by what?

 

Her troubled thoughts were interrupted when they came to another fork. This time, they could see an illuminated structure down one of the paths. Down the other, the maze got darker.

 

“I vote we check out the lights.” Said Julie. “It could be an area to stop and rest.”

 

Maru and Penny nodded. Penny picked up on the edge in her voice and gave her hand a squeeze.

 

They picked up their pace heading towards the pool of light, and just as they reached the edge they heard the ground underneath them beginning to rumble.

 

Suddenly, gnarled green hands erupted from the earth, grasping and clawing at the ground. One slapped at Penny’s ankle and she let out a shriek, all but leaping into Julie’s arms. They began to run as more of the twisted hands burst from the ground. Julie held a hand to her side as she kept up a jogging pace. It was as fast as she could move without aggravating her injuries.

 

They emerged into a small clearing walled off by hedges. The hands seemed to have stopped, and Julie could see them slowly receding into the dirt from where she stood. 

 

Julie looked around. She could see trees peeking out over the top of the maze walls. The clearing was illuminated by a series of floating candles, and in the flickering light coming off of them, Julie could see a massive iron cauldron bubbling with a strange green liquid. Behind the cauldron was a small shack, about the size Julie’s had been before she’d had Robin upgrade it. Its windows were boarded over and a rocking chair sat on the porch, rocking of its own accord. Julie shuddered and turned to the girls.

 

Maru was still examining the passage they had come from, looking for the hands. Penny had become distracted by the cauldron and the misty green vapor coming off of it. Before Julie could advise her against it, she stepped toward the cauldron and took a deep whiff of it.

 

“Mmm…” She said. “It smells like pine and flowers. These vapors are making me a little dizzy…”

 

She stood, transfixed by the cauldron. After a few long moments of indecision, Julie placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. She had a hazy grin spread across her face.

 

“Hey, you.” Penny said, walking her fingers up Julie’s chest. “You look so nice tonight.”

 

Julie smiled and led her by the hand away from the bubbling green. Penny hesitated at first, but when Julie insisted she went along happily. Julie got Maru’s attention and they convened.

 

“So I think we need to take the darker path. “ Said Julie. “That means we need to go back through the hands. I vote we take it at a jog so we can get through quickly while still giving us some reaction time so we don’t trip.”

 

“Okay.” Said Penny, still a little dazed. “Well, if we’re jogging, we should-”

 

She stopped mid-sentence. Julie looked at her concerned.

 

“Penny? You okay?”

 

Her eyes were wide, and she was staring over Julie’s shoulder. Julie’s hand drifted to her sword again.

 

“There’s something scary behind me, isn’t there?”

 

Maru and Penny nodded.

 

“Chicken feet.” Penny said quietly. 

 

Julie was confused until she turned around and saw what Penny was staring at.

 

The dilapidated old shack now had a light on inside and it was standing several feet taller than before. A pair of clawed orange feet poked out from beneath the deck.

 

As Julie watched, the house moved and shuddered with a loud groaning of wood. It began to stand up on two long avian legs.

 

“And now, we run.” Said Julie.

 

The three fled as the chicken-house began to advance towards them. They took off down the corridor they’d come through, occasionally leaping forward to avoid the grasping hands as they erupted from the earth. Julie swore a few times and held her injuries as she ran. They reached the fork in the path and took the darker avenue, not stopping until they were certain they weren’t being followed by any buildings.

 

They followed the path until they emerged into another pool of light, this one a more open space with a familiar fountain in the center. They had reached the area outside the Community Center. There, sitting on the edge of the fountain in a getup made of black leather, was Abigail.

 

“Oh, hey.” She said as they approached her. “You guys made it this far! That’s cool.”

 

Julie cast a glance across the clearing and spotted another passageway.

 

“That we did. Just had a run-in with a witch house, I think. Are you going on? You could join us!”

 

Abigail shook her head.

 

“Thanks, but I can’t go any further.” Said Abigail. “You’ll have to let me know what comes next.”

 

“You made it this far and you’re turning back?” Maru asked.

 

Abigail nodded.

 

“Up ahead… Spiders… I just can’t.”

 

Spiders? Julie felt her skin crawling and she suddenly had a urge to pat herself down to make sure nothing was creeping up her leg. She couldn’t stand spiders.

 

“Oh, Goddess.” Julie whispered to herself. She raised her volume and addressed Abigail. “Thanks for the warning. I’m kind of an arachnophobe myself.”

 

“I just went around the corner and BAM! Giant spiders.”

 

_ Giant  _ spiders? Julie was about ready to throw in the towel. She and Abigail both shuddered in solidarity.

 

Penny gave Julie a squeeze.

 

“We’ll be right there with you, and you’re always allowed to turn around.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“I should be okay. Let’s just do this quickly.”

 

Abigail bid them good evening and turned back, picking her way through the hedges until she disappeared from sight. Julie, Penny, and Maru stood by the fountain, enjoying their moment of rest.

 

When their respective heart rates had returned to normal, the trio pressed on. Sure enough, around the next corner Julie could see massive cobwebs dotted with tiny black crawling shapes.

 

Julie went down the center of the path, trying to stay as far away from the webs as possible. Penny and Maru made faces as they walked. They weren’t fans of spiders either.

 

They rounded another corner and Julie leapt back into Maru’s arms with a shriek. On the hedge wall just ahead, a spider the size of a small car crawled lethargically. It began to rotate so that its pincers and eight eyes were facing them.

 

“Just keep moving.” Maru said. “I’m sure they’re not dangerous.”

 

Julie wasn’t so certain, but she began moving forward, taking the ten feet or so that required her to be near the spider at a dead sprint. She heard Penny and Maru trotting behind her and she tried to focus on the spider-free next turn. She would deal with whatever came next, but she would not suffer a giant spider any longer than she had to.

 

They rounded the corner and began making their way down another dark, leafy hallway. The arachnids didn’t give chase, as Julie had feared they might, but her skin was still crawling. She slapped at her legs and arms to make sure she hadn’t picked up any eight-legged hitchhikers.

 

When she rounded the corner she was greeted with more mist and floating candles. Ahead she could see the community sandbox, now sporting four large stone monoliths. There she spotted Sam, Vincent’s older brother, staring at one of the monoliths lost in thought. He didn’t acknowledge the three women as they approached, instead scratching his chin and pondering out loud.

 

“They have to mean something.” He said to no one in particular. “But what?”

 

Julie looked closer at the monoliths. They were carved with scenes in surprising detail. One depicted an army marching across a plain. Another showed a hurricane destroying buildings. It seemed that each monolith was carved into some form of human suffering. Julie didn’t really want to look at them anymore. There was something sinister about them.

 

“Sam?” Penny asked. “Are you okay?”

 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he mumbled something inaudible and leaned closer to the stone.

 

“Um… Okay then.”

 

Somewhere in the distance, Julie heard the snapping of tree branches. Sam didn’t react, but Penny and Maru jumped a bit.

 

They opted to keep walking, leaving Sam to his musings. The path twisted and turned, and Julie began to wonder how much ground they were covering. She was fairly certain she could still see the roof of the Community Center over the tops of the hedges. Had the maze gone that far back? At the rate they were walking, it seemed to them that they should be approaching Maru’s house.

 

The maze simply kept going. They took turn after turn, working their way northwards. The path got darker as the candles became fewer and farther between. The ground began to gradually form an incline.

 

Julie was beginning to walk with a certain urgency. She didn’t want to be in this maze anymore. She tried to keep herself calm, but whenever she blinked she could see the denizens of the Labyrinth in her mind. She found herself bracing for an attack, her knuckles white on the hilt of her sword. She felt for her pistol, but it wasn’t there. It was getting dark. It was getting cold. Julie was sure she could see her breath in front of her.

 

Julie heard another loud ‘SNAP’ from the forest, closer this time. She wheeled about looking for the source, but found nothing. She shivered just a bit.

Just when Julie was ready to suggest going back, they stumbled upon the sign. 

 

The path ended in a small clearing that was featureless save for a wooden signpost in the center. On the sign, someone had painted a big red question mark.

 

“Another dead end?” Said Maru. “I don’t see any exits.”

 

“I certainly hope not.” Said Penny. “This maze is starting to get to me. I feel like we’re being watched.”

 

Julie could feel it, too. Something was nearby, she was certain of it.

 

Julie advanced to the sign. It didn’t appear to be anything more than an ordinary hunk of wood. But what was the question mark supposed to mean?

 

Julie found out quite by accident. She had circled the perimeter of the clearing, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It was then that she had stopped paying attention to where she was going. She should have walked into the hedge. Instead, she passed right through it as though it were thin air. She almost fell on her face from surprise, reeling backward and stepping back through the hedge again.

 

Penny and Maru both exclaimed her name.

 

“What just happened to you?” Maru asked.

 

“You were there one second and then you just vanished!” Penny added. “We just looked over and you were gone!”

 

They both wrapped her in a hug.

 

“I think part of the hedge is illusion magic.” Said Julie. “The path continues that way.”

 

She pointed at the solid wall of greenery. Penny and Maru looked confused, but they approached the wall and tentatively stuck their hands through it.

 

“Whoa.” They said in unison.

 

“That’s some trick!” Said Maru. “Surprisingly simple and effective! Magic is fascinating, isn’t it?”

 

“I vote we all step through at the same time.” Said Penny. “That way it’s less anxiety-inducing.”

 

Julie and Maru nodded in agreement. Julie held each of their hands as they stood facing the wall.

 

“One… Two… Three!”

 

They all stepped forward at once and emerged on the other side of the hedge into another squared clearing, this one accentuated by a large tree in the center. Beyond the tree, the path continued.

 

The hedges ran straight into the side of the mountain. Julie could see a passageway cut into the rock itself, with wooden support beams like a mine shaft.

 

“Oh, sweet Yoba.” Maru muttered. “I don’t really want to go in there.”

 

“I second that sentiment.” Said Julie, her eyes fixed on the tunnel. “Though I’m not sure we have much of a choice. We either need to go forward or backtrack all our steps.”

 

Penny gulped.

 

“You’re both holding my hand.” She said to Maru and Julie. “But I’m willing to go in if we all go together.”

 

After another moment’s hesitation, they moved into the darkened mouth of the tunnel.

 

It was pitch black inside. Julie, the leader of the party, felt along the wall with one hand and kept hold of Penny with the other. The tunnel was relatively straight, so Julie just had to creep forward, using her hands and feet as sounding devices. Julie’s mind went to the last time she’d ventured into the underside of the mountain and she had to fight the urge to pick up her pace. She clutched Penny’s hand and felt their way forward with careful deliberation.

 

After what felt like an agonizingly long time, Julie felt a cool breeze from further down the tunnel. The exit had to be close.

 

Eventually, the rock fell away and Julie, Maru, and Penny emerged into the chilly night air. Ahead of them was one final row of hedges. They led a short distance south from the mountain face. At the end of the path was a hedge cubical containing a large, ornately decorated wooden chest.

 

“Do you think that could be the big prize?” Penny asked. “The box is certainly fancy enough.”

 

“It seems strange that it’s just sitting there in the open though, doesn’t it?” Said Maru.

 

“Maybe the tunnel was the last obstacle.” Said Julie. “We haven’t seen anyone else in a while, so I imagine we’re the first ones here. Maybe it’s really that easy?”

 

She felt uncertain even as she spoke the words aloud. It felt like a trap.

 

They edged closer to the box, following the hedge walls until they were only a dozen paces away. Julie stepped forward, intent on reaching the box and opening it.

 

As she advanced, the ground beneath her began to fall away. She leapt backwards as the dirt crumbled and fell into a deep pit. Maru and Penny lunged forward to grab Julie and keep her from falling.

 

“Holy hell!” Julie cried. “Thanks, loves.”

 

She looked at the box, so close and yet so far away. How were they going to get to it? The gap was too wide to jump across, and Julie didn’t see any footholds along the pit’s edges. The ground had fallen away into a perfect rectangle. Julie stared down into the pit. Was something looking back?

 

“Hm…” Maru stepped forward to the edge of the pit and experimentally stuck her foot down into the pit. Her foot fond purchase on something solid, and she stepped forward before Julie or Penny could stop her.

 

For a moment Julie’s heart was in her throat, certain that she’d see Maru tumble into the chasm below. Instead, Maru appeared to be standing on nothing a foot out from the edge.

 

“I don’t think this is a real hole.” Maru said, taking another step to prove her point. She remained supported by seemingly nothing. “Illusion magic again. Pretty convincing, though.”

 

Julie took a tentative step forward and found her weight supported. If she didn’t look down, she would be fine. Penny stepped up next to her and the three strode right across the ‘chasm’ and stepped onto the far ledge, once again feeling grass under their feet.

 

They converged around the box. Julie looked back and forth from Maru to Penny as she placed her hands on the ornate lid and prepared to open it.

 

“Okay, this is it.” She said. “Whatever’s inside, we’ll divvy it up amongst ourselves.”

 

Maru and Penny nodded.

 

“One… Two… Three!”

 

Julie flung open the lid.

 

Inside was a large pumpkin made of solid gold. Every part of it glimmered in the moonlight, from the skin to the stem. Julie reached in and picked it up. It wasn’t as heavy as it looked.

 

“It’s a golden pumpkin!” Julie declared, holding it up so Penny and Maru could see. “That’s a new one.”

 

“That thing must be worth quite a bit!” Said Maru. “It’s huge!”

 

“How are we getting it back to town?” Penny asked.

 

As if on cue, the hedges around them swayed in the wind and the pit illusion faded away to reveal regular dirt and grass.

 

_ “You have done well, mortals.” _

 

A rumbling voice sounded from all around them. Julie and Penny jumped when it first spoke.

 

_ “For your bravery, you have been rewarded. Now, you will-” _

 

“Wait a minute.” Said Julie. She recognized the voice. “Rasmodius, is that you?”

 

_ “I… I do not know of whom you spea-” _

 

“Dude, everyone here knows who you are.”

 

The disembodied voice let out a huff and Julie heard the sound of fingers snapping.

 

Suddenly, Rasmodius the wizard was standing in front of the open box.

 

“Why do you insist on ruining the effect?” He asked.

 

“What can I say? It’s a gift.”

 

Rasmodius sighed.

 

“I suppose the rest of the script isn’t necessary. I’ll admit, I’m surprised the three of you made it this far. It’s been years since  _ anyone _ has actually won the prize, let alone three people.”

 

He looked at the golden pumpkin.

 

“Hm… The prize was more intended for one person, but I believe I can assist you.”

 

He waved his hand and the large pumpkin in Julie’s arms turned into three golden miniature pumpkins with a quiet ‘poof’.

 

“There. I believe I have divided up the prize fairly.” He said. “Now, I believe we are done here. I will open a portal that will take you back to town. I advise you to move quickly, it will only remain open for a minute 

or so.”

 

He clapped his hands and a glowing blue circle appeared on the ground a few feet away.

 

“There. I trust you can see yourselves out.”

 

With a snap of his fingers and a grumble about young people having no taste for mystery, Rasmodius was gone. The trio was left looking at the glowing circle with apprehension.

 

“On three?” Julie asked.

 

“That sounds good to me.” Said Maru. 

 

“And me.” Penny chimed in. 

 

Each of them took a golden pumpkin in one arm and they stood at the edge of the circle. They would have to move quickly.

 

“One, two, three!”

 

Just as she stepped across the threshold, Julie heard the rustling of branches, just overhead.

 

They appeared directly in front of a few startled townsfolk, but all confusion died when the crowd caught sight of the glittering gold in the girls’ arms.

 

“Someone found the prize!” Declared a young man Julie only vaguely knew as Evelyn and George’s grandson. “Aw, man.”

 

A small crowd formed around them, everyone asking questions at once. It seemed that the landowning citizens had absconded to perform their ritual, as most of the faces they saw were young. Emily and Leah waved them down and Julie, Maru, and Penny muscled their way through the crowd to get to them.

 

“Congratulations!” Emily called. “I knew three heads were better than one!”

 

“Solid gold pumpkins, eh?” Said Leah. “Gotta say, it wasn’t what I expected.”

 

Julie opened her mouth to respond, but never got a chance.

 

There was a flash of light, followed by gasps and screams.

 

Julie whirled around just in time to see a masked figure leveling a pistol in their direction.

 

Julie threw herself protectively in front of Maru and Penny. The terrible crack of a gunshot rang out through the night.

 

Lead infused with quicksilver punched clean through her costume. She felt white-hot pain erupt in her wounded shoulder.

 

She was falling backwards. Penny and Maru caught her and kept her from collapsing. Julie let out a pained gasp as she tried to come to her feet.

 

‘Don’t panic.’ She thought. ‘Not now.’

 

The townsfolk had scattered away from the armed stranger, leaving them to slowly walk across the town square towards Julie.

 

“I have been hunting you for a very long time.” The figure spoke. 

 

That voice. She knew that voice.

 

The figure stepped into the firelight, and Julie finally got a good look at them. They wore a pointed hat and black feathered cloak that swished as they strode purposefully toward Julie, Maru, and Penny. Their face was covered by a long pointed mask in the shape of a beak. At their hip was a wickedly curved long knife.

 

Julie knew their name.

 

Eileen the Crow, the Hunter of Hunters.


	8. Moondance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie and her attacker square off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Graphic violence. Blood/Blood Magic

Julie managed to get control of herself enough to stand on her own feet. She leaned heavily on Penny for a few moments before standing up relatively straight. She had to get herself together, and fast. Eileen was closing in, her feathered cloak billowing behind her in the gathering wind as she walked calmly toward Julie.

“You have to go.” Julie said to Penny and Maru through gritted teeth. “Get to safety.”

 

“We’re not leaving you!” Penny cried.

 

Julie took a step forward and planted herself firmly into a fighting stance. Her good arm went for her sword.

 

With a ringing of steel, Julie’s silver blade was drawn from its sheath. She had less power in her stance than she would have liked, but it was currently all she could do to keep from dropping her sword.

 

Her assailant was only a dozen paces away now, and Julie had to think fast. She needed to do something drastic.

 

Julie’s free hand went to her wounded shoulder and let the oozing blood trickle through her fingers. She whispered an incantation and pressed her blood-soaked palm to her heart.

 

The spell activated, and Julie felt a tingling numbness spreading through her wounds. Her ragged breathing steadied a bit as the pain relented. The spell wouldn’t last long, and the damage was not being healed so much as dulled, but she needed to be able to fight.

 

Holding her sword in slightly shaking hands, Julie took a step forward. Eileen drew her twisted blade with a flourish, holding it up to the sky and pulling the handle apart. The long knife broke apart into twin curved blades. Eileen held one in each hand, twirling them idly in her fingers.

 

“We don’t have to do this.” Julie called out. “I don’t want to fight you.”

 

“I’m afraid we do, Julianna.” Came the slightly muffled reply. “Believe me, it gives me no pleasure. I simply can’t let you walk free. You were there when Yharnam burned! You partook in communion! The Plague of the Beast runs through your veins, and in the end, you will turn.”

 

Eileen gestured to the frightened townsfolk with her knives.

 

“How many of them will you kill when the time finally comes, hm? How much destruction can a single Hunter sow?”

 

Julie didn’t need to respond. They both knew the answer all too well.

 

“Things are different here!” Julie shouted. “I’ve left the Hunt behind!”

 

Eileen stopped just a few yards from Julie.

 

“Have you, now? Then I’m afraid this is going to hurt.”

 

Julie stole a glance over her shoulder. Maru was dragging a struggling Penny back toward the safety of the crowd. Julie felt relief wash over her. They were safe. Eileen didn’t want them.

 

“Please.” Julie said, stalling for time while the spell worked its magic. “Not here. Not in front of all these people.”

 

“You have hidden among these people like a rat in a gutter!” Eileen bellowed. “I tried to wait until you were alone, but if you don’t think I’ll kill you in front of this crowd you have another thing coming.”

 

Eileen looked at the assembled sea of terrified townsfolk and shook her head.

 

Julie shifted her grip on the hilt of her sword, preparing to do battle. There was noise all around as frightened townsfolk scrambled to get out of the way. They (wisely) retreated behind the tables, wanting to be as far from the violence as possible. (Pierre in particular overturned a table for the purpose of cowering behind it.)

 

Eileen looked across the crowd. If it was possible for a masked assassin to look sad, Eileen did.

 

“It would seem you’ve built a life for yourself here.” Eileen said. “But that doesn’t change the facts. You and I are the last of the Hunters of Yharnam, and as long as we live, the risk of the Plague beginning again lives with us.”

 

She stopped twirling her knives and looked at Julie.

 

“I am sorry.”

 

Without warning, Eileen leapt forward and lashed out with one of her blades, provoking a cry of surprise from the crowd. Julie took the attack with her already injured shoulder, feeling cold steel scythe through her skin. She let out a hiss and clutched at her wounds, feeling hot blood trickle between her fingers. Eileen struck again, this time with a kick, sending Julie stumbling back a few feet. Frantically, Julie began tracing a symbol on the inside of her forearm, whispering an incantation under her breath. EIleen rushed her, but Julie was prepared. She ducked under Eileen's next strike and leapt out of the way, rolling painfully on the hard cobblestone path before coming to her feet. Eileen was already heading her way, but she had bought the time she needed. She raised her hand and called out the last of the spell's vocal component. The blood sigil on her arm sparked and glowed, and in another moment a burst of flame appeared in her palm. 

 

Almost instantly, she felt the spell beginning to drain her. Her numbing spell faltered momentarily, and she was briefly overcome with wracking pain. Sustaining two spells at once wasn't going to work for very long. She needed to make use of the flame, and quickly. A fireball? No, there were too many people around. Plus, she ran the risk of setting the general store on fire. She needed a different plan.

 

Just as Eileen reached her again, Julie ran her blazing hand along the flat of her blade, setting it alight with unnatural fire. Eileen backed up.

 

"Magic? I don't suppose I should be surprised. An impressive display, but it won't save you."

 

Eileen rushed again, almost driving a blade into Julie's heart. She dodged the strike by scant inches and retaliated by tactically swinging her blade in large arcs to keep Eileen retreating. Pressing the advantage, Julie hunkered over and rushed Eileen with her good shoulder, knocking her back a few feet and giving Julie a chance to swing her sword.

 

Her first strike went higher than intended, barely grazing Eileen’s shoulder. The second found its mark, slashing across one of Eileen’s legs. Eileen cried out in pain and sent a gloved fist rocketing into Julie’s jaw, sending her reeling back and causing her vision to go a bit spotty. However, the fire was doing its work. From the slash marks in Eileen's attire, flames began to curl. Julie's blade had set fire to a number of the feathers on Eileen's cloak, giving her the impression of some kind of infernal demon crow.

 

Eileen advanced, lashing out with her knives at every opportunity. Julie deflected a strike with the flat of her blade and bashed Eileen with the pommel of her sword before swinging wide to force Eileen to back up. Eileen retreated a few steps, but she took advantage of the distance. Before Julie could stop her, Eileen retrieved a syringe vial filled with blood from the inside of her cloak and jammed it into her leg. posture improved, she twirled her blades with renewed vigor.

 

“Damn it.” Julie muttered to herself.

 

Eileen rushed forward and their blades met again, Eileen parrying swings of Julie’s longsword by crossing her daggers into an ‘x’. The fire was beginning to falter, and Julie just couldn't seem to get a decent strike in.

 

The two combatants clashed again and again, Julie’s reflexes working overtime to keep her from being carved up like a pumpkin. Even as she blocked and parried strikes from one of Eileen’s knives, the other appeared in a flash and cut another thin slice through her skin. Julie’s numbing spell wouldn’t hold up against too much trauma. She needed a new plan and fast.

 

“The hunters must die!” Eileen cried out as she very nearly took off Julie’s head. Julie ducked but recieved a slash across the cheek for her trouble. “The nightmare must end!”

 

Eileen kicked her in the chest and sent her staggering back. Quick as lightning, the twin blades cut into her sides. She was too fast. Too strong. Julie was beginning to falter, her parries becoming less and less successful. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to lose her sword.

 

Julie tried to call on the Hunter powers she had once commanded, but they did not come. All she felt was an empty void where once there had been inhuman power.

 

Eileen was beginning to advance, skirting around to the side and slowly driving Julie back toward the general store. Julie tried to swing her blade, but Eileen was too quick. She dodged gracefully and kicked Julie in the chest for her trouble.

 

Julie was getting backed into a corner, and she didn’t have much strength left. She was very rapidly running out of options. That meant it was time for ‘Plan B’. Julie hated ‘Plan B’.

 

Julie dove out of the way of Eileen’s next strike and rolled on the hard cobblestone path. She sprang to her feet and feinted as though she was going to try for an overhead strike. With a battle cry, Eileen took the bait, dashing forward to parry with one hand and slice with the other.

 

The strange black metal of Eileen’s dagger sparked at it crossed with Julie’s silver blade. Julie saw the other knife coming. Instead of trying to block or get out of the way, she closed her eyes and tensed every muscle in her body. This was going to suck.

 

Julie felt the knife pierce her abdomen. She let out a choked hiss as her body began to go into shock.

 

“Julie!” Penny screamed from the crowd.

 

Eileen leaned forward, ready to wrench the blade upward.

 

“I should imagine you still Dream.” She said softly, her breath coming in short gasps. “Tell the little Doll I said hello.”

 

Julie’s vision was beginning to swim. ‘Don’t pass out.’ She repeated in her head like a mantra. ‘Don’t pass out.’

 

Her upraised hand let go of her sword. Time seemed to slow as the weapon began to fall to the ground. Julie reached out with her off hand and snatched it from the air, rearing it back and then thrusting forward with every ounce of fleeting strength she possessed.

 

Julie buried her sword up to the hilt in Eileen’s solar plexus. She couldn’t see Eileen’s eyes, but she imagined them going wide with shock. Eileen let out a choked curse and began fumbling for her pistol. Julie let go of her blade and snatched the firearm from Eileen’s grip. Julie bashed the pointy hat right off of Eileen’s head, revealing a mane of greying hair. 

 

Eileen collapsed to her knees with two feet of silver protruding from her back, her remaining blade clattering to the ground. In shaking hands, Julie leveled the pistol to Eileen’s forehead. Eileen just stared up at Julie through her mask, as if daring her to finish the job.

 

“The beasts cannot be stopped.” Eileen said with a choking cough. “What good are Hunters now?”

 

“O flora, of the moon, of the Dream.” Julie whispered in prayer. “O fleeting will of the Ancients...”

 

“You can’t go on like this.” Eileen said quietly.

 

Julie fired.

 

With a deafening crack and a flash of gunpowder, it was over. Eileen’s body slumped to the ground, lifeless. Julie slowly lowered herself down to her knees. She was bleeding heavily and she wasn’t sure she could stand back up.

 

Julie fought to stay conscious, looking everywhere but at the knife hilt sticking out of her gut. Somewhere far away, Julie heard someone screaming her name. There were hands on her shoulders. So many hands. What was that they were saying? Julie struggled to listen.

 

“Julie!” Penny kneeled down in front of her while Maru bellowed out for the doctor. “Julie, baby, please stay awake.”

 

Tears were flowing down Penny’s face. Julie lifted a badly trembling hand and stroked her chin, smearing her skin with crimson.

 

“I love you.” Julie whispered.

 

“Please, please, stay with me!” Penny sobbed. “The doctor is on his way, you’re going to be alright!”

 

Julie heard running footsteps approaching. Harvey and Maru had arrived on the scene, pushing a hospital stretcher. With help from Maru and Penny, they got Julie loaded onto the stretcher and began frantically wheeling her back toward the clinic. Maru yelled for people to clear the way. Julie was left staring up at the sky. 

 

Stars. She could see so many stars.

 

Julie could no longer hear the frantic voices of her friends. She strained her ears to listen, but they were too far away. Everything felt too far away.

 

Her vision began to go black. How much blood had she lost? Where had the stars gone? Was she dying? Her mind raced as her body began to shut down. 

 

Light overhead blinded her. She felt something pressing down on her abdomen as Maru applied pressure to the wound to try and keep it closed. Julie heard her say something, but couldn’t make out what it was.

 

She felt hands clamping onto hers. Penny was there, holding Julie’s hand in both of hers, whispering comforting words that Julie couldn’t hear.

 

Julie closed her eyes. She no longer had the energy to hold them open.

 

Perhaps it was time to rest. She was tired. So tired.

 

Julie’s hand went slack.


	9. Out of an Orange-Colored Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a brush with death, Julie lies recovering in the hospital.

When Julie opened her eyes again, she was back in the workshop. Tools and weapons of all descriptions hung upon one wall. The others were dominated by bookcases. At one end of the room, a fire roared. Julie was sat in a chair, a dusty tome opened in front of her. She sat back, feeling for her wound. It was gone.

 

From seemingly nowhere, she heard a voice.

 

_ “Good Hunter.” _

 

Julie looked all around. She couldn’t see the Doll.

 

“ _ Your Journey has been long.”  _ The Doll’s voice said.  _ “You may rest now, if you so choose.” _

“Am I dead?” Julie asked the voice. There was a long silence.

 

_ “Very near to it.” _

 

Julie waited for it to continue. It didn’t.

 

“I can’t leave them like this.” Julie said. “There has to be a way to-”

 

_ “Your life is in their hands now. They will do all they can to save you, but I cannot say if it will be enough.” _

 

Julie smelled something burning and looked around. The walls were beginning to smoke.

 

“What can I do?” Julie asked. “There has to be something I can do!”

 

The room began to glow with an orange flickering light. The workshop was burning.

 

Julie knelt in the middle of the blaze, trying to clear her mind. She had to wake up. She had to get back to Penny.

 

Terrible visions flashed across her mind. Her blade, alight with fire, swung with lethal intent. The screams of the townsfolk as they scrambled to get out of harm’s way. The sound Eileen had made when Julie ran her through. It had been self-defense, but the blood was still on her hands. How was she any better than Eileen?

 

Julie felt an ungodly amount of heat radiating off of the walls. It did not deter her meditation. As the flames began to close in, she exhaled.

 

‘Wake up.’ She thought with all her will. ‘Wake up’.

 

She heard crashing all around her. The ceiling was beginning to fall in. The altar was buried under rubble and splintered wood. Through the smoke and the flames, Julie looked up through the hole in the ceiling and saw the moon, luminous and distant.

 

‘Wake up.’ She repeated like a mantra. ‘Wake. Up’

 

Julie gasped in a lungful of cold air, immediately sending her into a coughing fit. As she coughed she felt a searing pain in her abdomen. She tried somewhat unsuccessfully to steady her breathing.

 

“Julie!” Came a cry from nearby. Julie opened her eyes to find Penny rushing to her side. “Thank the gods! You’re alive!”

 

Penny looked at though she wanted to fling her arms around Julie and squeeze the newfound life right out of her, but she settled for gently stroking Julie’s cheek with her fingertips. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had clearly been crying. As she looked into Julie’s eyes, Julie smiled at her and she burst into tears again. Carefully, so as to not aggravate her wounds, Penny leaned over the bed and wrapped her arms  gently around Julie.

 

“I thought I’d lost you.” She wept. “I thought…”

 

Her voice trailed off and she buried her face in the crook of Julie’s neck.

 

Maru entered the room and almost dropped the tray she was holding.

 

“Julie! Holy shit!”

 

She rushed over and began examining Julie closely, as though she couldn’t quite believe her eyes.

 

“You gave us quite a scare just now!” Maru said, her eyes misty. “You’re not allowed to go wandering off without me.

 

Penny pulled back from Julie’s tearstained collar. Maru leaned in and gave Julie a hug of her own, taking care to avoid touching Julie’s wounded shoulder and/or everything else.

 

“I couldn’t leave you two behind.” Julie said weakly. “I plan on sticking around for a while yet.”

 

She looked at Maru.

 

“How long was I out?”

 

“About twenty minutes. You weren’t responsive when we stitched up the major wound. On top of that, you needed an emergency blood transfusion to make up for the amount you lost.”

 

Penny held up her arm to reveal a gauze bandage wrapped around her arm near the elbow. 

 

“I’m a little woozy.” Penny said, trying to dry her eyes. “But it was more than worth it.”

 

Julie leaned her head back on her hospital-issued pillow. They had saved her life. It was over.

 

“I owe the two of you my life.” Julie said. “Thank you.”

 

“No thanks necessary.” Said Penny with a sniffle. 

 

“Just focus on healing and we can call it even.” Said Maru.

 

Julie smiled.

 

“Deal. I love you. Both of you. I don’t think I can express it enough, but I might just keep trying anyway.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 

“I love you, too, you dork.”

 

Maru left Penny and Julie to go find the doctor. Penny sat in a chair next to Julie’s bed and held her hand. Julie was more sore than she’d ever been in her life, but she was alive. 

 

Harvey entered and performed an examination, making sure Julie’s wounds were holding closed. When he was satisfied, he retrieved a small vial of pills from his coat pocket.

 

“Take two of these for the pain. They’ll make you drowsy, but you should be resting anyway. I’ll be turning in for the night soon, but I can hear the paging system from my room. Hit the little button next to your  bed if any complications arise and I’ll be right out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go tell a small mob that visiting hours are over.”

 

Penny looked up.

 

“Harvey? You don’t mind if I stay, do you?”

 

Harvey hesitated for a moment, but he relented almost immediately.

 

“Not at all. I’m afraid we don’t have many accomodations beyond the water cooler, but you’re welcome to wait up with her. I’d sleep easier knowing someone was watching my patient.”

 

“I’ll join you.” Said Maru. “I can pull in an extra chair from the lobby.”

 

Harvey went to go tell the crowd of townsfolk assembled outside that it was time to go home. When he came back in, he gave Julie regards from about a dozen different people before bringing her a small paper cup filled with water and retiring for the evening.

 

Penny and Maru took it in shifts sleeping and sitting up with Julie. Maru brought her food and water leftover from the festival and Penny lent her a book to read while she recovered. Every few minutes it seemed one or both of them was up attending to some need of Julie’s, but they did it all without hesitation. She couldn’t have asked for more attentive partners.

 

By the time the morning sun began to rise over the mountains, Julie was just about ready to go to sleep. She had successfully cheated death once more, and Penny and Maru were safe and close. She had done okay.

 

Penny sat with her as she drifted through the fog of sleep, dozing off sometimes for hours at a time. She was confined to the bed for the next several days to make sure the wound in her abdomen healed properly. It was a bit embarrassing having to ask for help every time she needed to use the restroom, but it was hardly Penny and Maru’s first time helping Julie through an injury. They attended to her needs  gladly, simply happy to have her on this side of the grave.

 

Julie dozed through a few more hours until Maru came into the room leading Leah and Emily. Emily was carrying a plate of muffins.

 

“Hey, guys.” Julie said with a small wave. “It’s good to see you!”

 

They both leaned in for hugs. Julie felt a bit (unbelievably) stiff, but she managed.

 

“I brought you some fresh-baked muffins from home!” Said Emily. “Anything to make things a little better.”

 

Julie was touched.

 

“That’s very kind of you. I have a special place in my heart for muffins.”

 

“How are you feeling?” Leash asked.

 

“Like I lost a jousting match, but I’ll live.”

 

“We were so worried last night!” Emily declared. “I can’t believe someone would attack you in the middle of the street.”

 

Julie shrugged.

 

“I had a… Somewhat troubled history with the woman who attacked me. We were colleagues, once, but by the time I escaped Yharnam, her sanity was beginning to go. She was an outsider, like me, but she still fell prey to that peculiar Yharnam madness.”

 

“You know who she was?” Leah asked.

 

Julie nodded solemnly and glanced over at Penny, asleep in her chair. 

 

“In Yharnam, they called her Eileen the Crow. She was a Hunter, like me. What set her apart from the rabble was that she hunted other Hunters, not beasts. It was her job to track down rogue Hunters and put them down before they could turn into monsters. We had worked together once or twice when our paths crossed. I can’t say it gives me any pleasure to know she’d dead.”

 

“Do you know why she attacked you?” Emily asked.

 

“It sounded like she followed me out of Yharnam, though how is anyone’s guess. Seeing me here among people I could potentially harm must have struck a nerve. I don’t know why it took her so long to attack me, or why she would bother following me and being stealthy if she was just going to attack me in public anyway. ”

 

Julie sighed.

 

“She’d dead now, so it’s not at though we can ask her questions. I still wish there had been another way.”

 

Leah came over and gently laid a hand on Julie’s shoulder.

 

“You had to do it. She chose her path for herself. And whatever madness troubled her before, it’s over now. All you can do is move on.”

 

Julie leaned back in bed.

 

“Yeah… I suppose you’re right.”

 

An unpleasant thought came to her.

 

“Eileen’s body.” She asked. “What  became of it?”

 

Emily grimaced.

 

“It- She was buried in the town graveyard at dawn. Mayor Lewis oversaw it.”

 

Her thoughts were troubled, but it gave her heart to know that Eileen had at least gotten a proper burial. Julie’s mind began to flood with memories of what she had done, threatening to overwhelm her. She had  killed someone in front of half the town, and now they were all coming to check on her as though she hadn’t impaled a woman in front of the general store. Julie shook her head in an effort to clear it.

 

“Julie? You okay?”

 

They were looking at her with concern. Julie put up a false smile with just a hint of a wince.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. Injuries just flaring up, it’ll pass.”

 

Thankfully, Emily and Leah quickly changed gears to lighter matters. Leah promised to bring by a fruit basket and Emily told her in detail about a crystal she possessed that would help accelerate the healing  process. Julie didn’t entirely understand everything that was said, but they kept up conversation long enough for Penny to get a decent nap in.

 

A thought struck her.

 

“Leah?” She said.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I think your ‘ghost’ problem can be safely put to bed.”

 

Leah looked a bit confused.

 

“I’m not sure I follow.”

 

Julie thought about the best way to phrase her theory.

 

“I think Eileen was breaking into houses and stealing what she needed while she hunted me. Things worked a bit differently in Yharnam, and crossing over to this land brought certain needs back with it. It must have been a shock to her, having to acclimate to needing food and water again.

 

Emily and Leah looked at Julie for a long moment. Julie simply sighed. She was nowhere near qualified to explain why the Hunters cold forgo sustenance for so long. Instead, she continued on.

 

“At any rate, you shouldn’t have any more trouble with break-ins, though I would visit Robin and ask her to replace your door and window locks. Just in case.”

 

Leah nodded.

 

“That sounds like a good idea. It makes me want to shudder when I think of someone stealing from my house right under my nose, but I’m glad we finally got this sorted, even if things did go… Poorly. Thank you, Julie.”

 

“Hey, no problem. I kinda solved the case by accident, anyway.”

 

The afternoon wore on and soon the girls had to leave. Just as they turned to go, Leah turned back and removed her (slightly torn) coat, draping it over Penny like a blanket while she slept in her chair. She looked Penny up and down before smiling slightly to herself.

 

Julie caught her eye and winked, and Leah’s face went red as a tomato.

 

“I just, um, thought she looked cold.” Leah stammered, avoiding Julie’s gaze. 

 

Julie let out a chuckle.

 

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it when she wakes up. I’ll tell her you left it.”

 

In her sleep, Penny grabbed the jacket by the collar and pulled it a bit tighter around herself.

 

“If you want it back, you’ll just have to come visit sometime.” Julie said. 

 

Leah smiled.

 

“I think I will. Just um… Maybe keep this conversation between us? Not that I’m asking you to keep a secret, just-”

 

“Don’t worry, dearie.” Julie said. “I won’t say a word. That’s your business.”

 

Leah stopped stammering and gave Julie a grateful look. Julie just smiled back. One of the unspoken bonuses to polyamory was watching other people get as flustered about her partner as she did. It made Julie equal parts giddy and proud to watch. What was more, she could kind of see it.

 

 

Penny woke up shortly after Emily and Leah took their leave, stretching and yawning before noticing her new quilt.

 

“Em and Leah came by earlier.” Julie explained. “Leah thought you looked cold.”

 

Penny blushed a bit.

 

“Aw. That was sweet of her.”

 

Julie waggled an eyebrow at her in a fashion that would have made Maru proud.

 

Penny’s blush deepened.

 

“Is now really the time?” She asked, looking away. “I’m a bit focused on you at the moment.

 

“Hey, I’m not sayin’.” Said Julie. “I’m just sayin’.”

 

Penny rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. They heard footsteps. Maru came in with Doctor Harvey.

 

“Well, let’s take a look at your vitals.” Harvey said, checking the readings on the medical device next to Julie’s bed.. “Hm. Your recovery rate is remarkable. I’d say another day or two and we can send you to recover at home.”

 

“Going home sounds lovely.” Said Julie.  “Although I have some house repairs to do.”

 

“Well I certainly hope you’re not intending to do those repairs yourself. You need to minimize movement for the next week or so. Doctor’s orders.”

 

“Fair enough. How am I gonna get home?”

 

“We can provide you with a wheelchair so you don’t have to walk yourself home.”

 

“Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.”

 

“Of course! Do you have any other questions?”

 

“No, I think I’m good.”

 

Harvey jotted a few things onto the clipboard he had brought with him.

 

“Alright. In such case, I’ll leave you to rest. We can do an examination tomorrow and see if you’re fit to head home.”

 

“Thanks, Harvey.”

 

“Of course.”

 

The doctor left the room.

 

Penny yawned and rubbed her eyes.

 

“Oh, my head is killing me.” She said. “I need to sleep properly.”

 

Julie didn’t want her to leave, but she also wanted her to have a decent night’s rest.

 

“You can go if you need to sleep, love.” Said Julie. “I’ve got  _ The Solarion Chronicles _ ” and a tray of muffins. I’ll be okay while you rest.”

 

Maru spoke up.

 

“If you’d rather not go home until you can get those locks replaced, you’re welcome at our house. It’s a slightly shorter walk, as well.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea.” Penny turned back to Julie. “You’re sure you’ll be okay?”

 

Julie smiled.

 

“I’ll miss you until you get back, but that’s nothing new.”

 

Penny blushed.

 

“You are so sweet.”

 

Penny yawned again.

 

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer, Mar. It’ll give me a chance to sleep and talk to your mom about the repairs.”

 

She looked back to Julie.

 

“You be good while I’m gone, okay?” Penny said. “Try not to get hurt before tomorrow.”

 

“You have my word, I won’t engage in any dangerous antics until you get back.”

 

She winked and Penny giggled.

 

“What am I going to do with you?” Penny asked.

 

“I can think of a few things, but I’ll have to heal a bit more first.

 

With a roll of her eyes, Penny excused herself to use the restroom, leaving Julie and Maru alone.

 

Julie craned her neck to glance down the hallway.

 

“Okay, she’s gone. Maru: Can I recruit you into a scheme of sorts?”

 

Maru’s eyebrows raised.

 

“I suppose that depends on the scheme.”

 

Julie checked down the hallway.

 

“What did you guys do with my festival costume?”

 

Maru looked confused.

 

“Well unfortunately we had to cut the jerkin off of you so we could stitch you up. The skirt survived though. I put it in my bag, I think.”

 

“Can you grab it for me? There’s something very important in one of the pockets.”

 

Maru cocked her head to the side for a moment before shrugging and zipping out of the room. She returned with a cloth and leather bundle.

 

“Thanks.” Said Julie, taking the bundle and unfolding it to search for the pockets. She felt something heavy inside the garment. It had survived.

 

Julie shook the pendant out of the trappings of the skirt and it landed in her lap.

 

Maru let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands. She let out a squeal.

 

“You’re going to propose?” She said. “Oh honey, I am so happy for you!”

 

She rushed forward and then hesitated.

 

“Oh, damn it, I want to hug you but I can’t.”

 

Julie held a finger to her lips. Maru still looked excitable, but she lowered her volume significantly.

 

“When?” She whispered.

 

“I’m waiting for the right moment. But soon.”

 

Maru let out a whispered ‘Eee’.

 

Down the hall, Julie heard the opening of a door.

 

“Say nothing.” Julie whispered.

 

Maru nodded gleefully and did her best to put on a poker face.

 

Julie stashed the mermaid’s pendant underneath her pillow just as Penny came into the room.

 

“Alright, I think I’m just about-.”

 

She caught the looks on Maru and Julie’s faces.

 

“Did I miss something?”

 

“Julie made a joke about Harvey. I thought it was funny.”

 

Maru’s acting was improving.

 

“Fair enough.” Penny said with a shrug. “Maru, are you ready to go?”

 

Maru nodded.

 

“Whenever you are, dear.”

 

Penny went back to Julie’s bedside and leaned down to kiss her.

 

“Try not to get hurt while I’m gone, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow.”

 

“Can do. I’ll be dreaming of you tonight.”

 

She stole another kiss.

 

“I love you, Penny.”

 

“I love you too, Julie.”

 

Maru came to the bedside and planted a smooch of her own on Julie.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, lovie. Try not to get into any trouble while we’re gone.”

 

Julie held a hand to her heart.

 

“What trouble is everyone expecting me to get into from a hospital bed?”

 

The girls exchanged glances before looking back at Julie.

 

“Setting fire to the drapes?”

 

“Impromptu swordfight in the middle of the night?”

 

Julie had nothing to counter. Both things were not out of the realm of possibility. Maru and Penny laughed.

 

“The doctor’s living quarters are in the back of the clinic, so if something happens in the middle of the night, you can call for him.”

 

Maru put on a sweater over her nurse uniform. Penny pulled on Leah’s jacket.

 

“Get home safe.” Julie said. “You’ll both be in my thoughts.”

 

“Bye, love.” Said Penny. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Take care, sweetie.” Said Maru. “Drink lots of water.”

 

And just like that, Julie was alone.

 

She spent the better part of the afternoon and evening reading, every so often taking a swig from a glass of water on the stand next to the bed. Given how much of the day she’d spent sleeping, she imagined it would be a long night.

 

She stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the last few days. They had certainly been eventful, though Julie thought she could do with a little less excitement in her life. She had gone from fretting about how her pumpkins were turning out to lying in a hospital hopped up on pain meds. She had solved the mystery that had plagued her the last few days, but at what cost? She couldn’t stop seeing Eileen dropping to the ground. Julie shook her head to clear it. It wouldn’t do to start spiraling now.

 

To keep her mind occupied, Julie went back to her book. It was a little difficult to focus, but Julie more or less managed to keep her mind occupied into the hours of the night.

 

The doctor came in and checked on Julie once more before retiring for the evening, bringing more water with him.

 

“We can do an examination tomorrow to see how you’re feeling. If the wound is holding closed, I think it will be safe to send you home.”

 

Julie was glad to hear it. She had now spent so long in this one room that it was driving her just a little stir crazy.

 

“Thanks, Harvey. I appreciate you patching me up.”

 

He waved it off.

 

“It’s my job. I do hope you manage to avoid mortal combat for awhile, it never seems to end well for you.”

 

Julie laughed and her wound ached in protest.

 

“I’ll do my best. These things always just seem to find me.”

 

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I do not envy your line of work.”

 

The doctor wrote a note onto his chart.

 

“Okay, you’re due for another dose of painkillers. You’ll probably start feeling drowsy soon after you take them.”

 

“Sounds good. I’ll take as much sleep as I can get.”

 

Harvey set a small container with a handful of pills inside next to Julie’s bed.

 

“Take two of these every eight hours or so.” He instructed. “They’ll help keep inflammation down and should ease the pain while you wait for yourself to recover.”

 

Harvey tucked his chart under his arm.

 

“If that’s all, I’ll be heading to bed for the evening. Call for me if there’s an emergency.”

 

“Can do.”

 

Harvey left the room, leaving Julie alone with her thoughts once more. She popped her pain medication into her mouth and downed it with a gulp of water. Now she just had to wait.

 

Her perception began going a bit fuzzy. The aching in her abdomen subsided as a cloud descended over Julie’s mind.

 

She was getting sleepy. So sleepy.

 

Her last thoughts before drifting off were of her loves. She wished she could be with them instead of alone in this chilly room. She remembered the night they spent at Maru’s. Sleeping there in between the two she cared for the most had done wonders for her heart and peace of mind.

 

She pictured herself laying down next to Penny, like she had done every night for a year. It never failed to amaze her how lucky she was to be there with her.

 

With that small flame to keep her warm, Julie at last fell asleep.

 

She had expected all manner of terrible dreams, but through the power of anesthesia she drifted through a dreamless void. Once or twice, she woke to the dark, silent environment of her hospital room. Initially, this caused a fair bit of panic. Julie didn’t do well with waking up in strange environments. However, as she lay her head back on the pillow, she felt the lump of the mermaid’s pendant. Soon. She just needed to  get out of this bed. She’d see to it, perhaps even the next day. If the opportunity presented itself, she was going for it. Secure in her plans, Julie managed to nod off again.

 

Morning (or rather, mid-afternoon, as she had slept clean through the morning) came as a surprise. Julie woke from her long rest feeling stiff and sore, but ultimately better than she had the days before.

 

She read the last of  _ The Solarion Chronicles  _ while she waited for Maru and Penny to arrive. They showed up an hour or two after Julie woke up, bringing with them some clean clothes for Julie to change into. 

 

“How are you feeling?” Penny asked.

 

“Better.” Said Julie. “Why, this morning I even managed to get to the bathroom by myself.”

 

Penny smiled and caressed the side of Julie’s face with her hand.

 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” She whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

She leaned down and kissed Julie on the forehead.

 

Maru stood watch at the door while Julie got dressed. Penny needed to help her with her shirt, but soon she was at last free of her hospital gown.

 

Maru checked her wound and helped her replace her bandages.

 

“Well, you’ll need to take it easy for a while, but I think the damage is healing. We’ll have Harvey do a final evaluation before we check you out of here, just to be on the safe side.”

 

Maru went to go get the doctor, leaving Julie and Penny alone in the room. Julie stole a glance at her pillow. The pendant was still there. She hadn’t thought to stash it anywhere else.

 

Julie ambled her way to the bed and sat down on the edge, feeling through the pillow with her hands to make sure she hadn’t lost it.

 

“Robin is at the house right now working.” Penny said. “She told me the first thing she’d do was install new locks so we can safely lock up tonight. Tomorrow she’s going to tackle the damage to the walls.”

 

Penny sat down next to her and leaned her head on Julie’s uninjured shoulder.

 

“I’m so glad I get to bring you home today.” Penny said. “I can’t stand seeing you laid up in a hospital like this.”

 

Julie rubbed her back.

 

“I’m glad as well. I’ve missed falling asleep next to you.”

 

Maru came in with Harvey in tow.

 

“Okay!” He said. “I see you’ve managed to sit up properly. That’s a good sign. How are your wounds feeling?”

 

“I’m sore as hell, but I think they’re knitting together.”

 

Harvey examined her gut wound and checked the bandages.

 

“It seems your recovery is going well! I’d say you’re clear to go rest at home. Just keep movement to a minimum if you can.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

Harvey scribbled something onto Julie’s chart then set it down.

 

“I’ll go fetch a wheelchair. Be right back.”

 

He was out of the room again, returning a few minutes later with a chair. Julie stood up and made meaningful eye contact with Maru, silently asking her to distract Penny while Julie retrieved her pendant. Maru caught the signal and busied herself with showing Penny how to fold up the chair. As soon as Penny looked away, Julie snatched the pendant from under her pillow and stuffed  it into her pocket.

 

Smooth as silk.

 

Julie lowered herself into the chair and Penny began to push her towards the door.

 

They emerged into the late afternoon sunlight. Julie was momentarily blinded before her eyes began to adjust.

 

She heard her name being called. A small group of townsfolk including Abigail and Emily had gathered near the general store, all asking how she was doing at once.

 

When she had reassured everyone that she was going to be okay, a few of them started to disperse, running off on other errands. Abigail and Emily stuck around, as did Jodi, who stood talking to Caroline a short distance away.

 

“It’s been a hell of a week for you, hasn’t it?” Abigail asked her.

 

“Yeah, it seems I’m not allowed to have an uneventful life for long.” Julie said.

 

Speaking of which…

 

Julie glanced around. There weren’t too many people, and those that remained were friends. The sun was beginning to sink in earnest, painting the sky and the encroaching clouds a fiery orange.  It was a beautiful day in Pelican Town, and she was going to take the plunge.

 

“Abby, Maru, could you help me up? I need to stand.”

 

Maru caught her eye. Julie nodded. Maru smiled and made a visible effort to hide it.

 

The girls took one of her hands each and helped her stand. After finding her balance, she took a step or two away from the group, feigning interest in the notice tacked to the billboard. Julie pulled the pendant out of her pocket and held it in her hands. She stole a glance over her shoulder. Penny was looking away, admiring the sunset. Julie took a deep breath and turned around. It was time.

 

Slowly and deliberately, she knelt to the ground on one knee and held up the pendant to the light of the setting sun. For a moment everyone present looked a bit confused, but as soon as they saw the amulet, they let out a chorus of small gasps.

 

Penny looked around at the sound, and at first looked as though she was going to ask  Julie why she was kneeling. Then her eyes went to the pendant and her hands went to her mouth. She didn’t speak for a moment, tears forming in her eyes. Then, she began nodding profusely.

 

“I accept!” She said through a fresh batch of tears. “I accept.”

 

She threw her arms around Julie and held her as tight as she dared. Julie wrapped her arms around her fiance and kissed her. The small crowd of friends and neighbors erupted into cheers. Jodi and Caroline dabbed at their eyes with handkerchieves while Abigail, Emily, and Maru let out a harmony of ‘woo’s fit to rattle the shop windows. Pierre stuck his head out of the store for just a second, determined there wasn’t a way to sell anything to anyone, and promptly went back inside.

 

Julie and Penny broke apart, gasping for breath and grinning like fools. The chorus of cheering died down.

 

“I’ll take care of everything.” Penny said. “We can have the ceremony in a week or so, to give you some more time to heal.”

 

Penny dried her eyes with her shirt and looked at Julie. A cool breeze rustled her fiery red hair and the dying sunlight lit up her face. Julie felt herself swoon just a bit.

 

“Let’s go home, honey.” Julie said. “I’m ready for a quiet night in.”


	10. A Snowy Night in Pelican Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nervous Julie prepares for the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I wrap up the second installment of this weird little project, I want to thank everyone who has stuck with it this far. It brings me no small amount of joy to see people enjoying this story, and I hope to see some of y'all on the next go around. Take care, folks.

Julie stood looking out the window, watching the clouds roll in. It was looking to be an overcast afternoon. Julie didn’t mind. She looked out across her land and watched the shadow of the clouds slowly envelop her (now barren) garden. It was a beautiful winter’s morning.

 

Penny had decided to spend the night before the wedding at her mom’s trailer, so Julie was alone in the house at the moment. Maru would be by soon to help her prepare. Julie felt her heart racing at the prospect of the day’s plans. She would arrive in the town square at noon exactly, where the Mayor would hold the ceremony in front of literally everybody in town. Afterwards, there would be a party hosted at Julie and Penny’s house that was sure to extend well into the evening. Weddings were a big to-do in this town, and Julie was ever so slightly terrifyingly nervous.

 

Not that she had cold feet, necessarily. She had been sure of it when she proposed, and she was sure of it now. She just needed to get through the ceremony without doing anything particularly strange. She was still a bit unsure how weddings worked in this world. Kneeling down to propose had confused just about everybody present, so Julie had come to the conclusion that things worked a little differently here.

 

She fixed herself some coffee and sipped it as she bustled around preparing what she could. Her injuries prevented her from moving too fast, but she was starting to get some range of motion back.

 

Soon enough, Maru knocked on the door. Julie answered it with jumpy enthusiasm and gave her girlfriend a big hug.

 

“Heya, sweetie!” Maru said. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m feeling great!” Julie said. In truth, her wounds still ached, but she would keep up a positive attitude if it killed her. “A little nervous, but I suppose there’s no helping that.”

 

Maru set a hanger with several garments draped over it down on the couch.

 

“Is that-?” Julie began to ask.

 

“Mm-hm!” Maru declared. “I can’t wait to see you in it, you’re going to look so sleek!”

 

Julie examined the outfit. She had opted for a suit so that Emily only had to make one wedding dress. Plus, she looked damn good in suits.

 

The slacks and vest were black and pinstriped, while the tie and undershirt were a striking royal purple. Julie ran her hands over the sleek fabric and let out a whistle of admiration.

 

“Penny is gonna melt.” Maru assured her. “So am I, for that matter. You’re going to look amazing.”

 

Julie blushed a bit.

 

“You certainly know how to sweet-talk a girl.”

 

“Oh, I know it. I remember how we got together.”

 

Julie laughed.

 

“Only a few hours left.” Said Julie. “Let’s see if I don’t sweat through this nice suit.”

 

“You’re gonna do fine, don’t worry! Today is your and Penny’s day. You should enjoy it!”

 

They began prepping the house for the reception, tidying up and setting out plates to serve food. Maru zipped around like a hummingbird with a feather duster, cleaning the numerous locations Julie couldn’t stretch to reach and leaving the faint scent of lemon in her wake.

 

When the house was suitably spiffy, Julie decided it was time to try on her suit. She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, attempting to knot her tie. After a few minutes of less than stellar progress, Maru came over and helped her.

 

Maru deftly tied a suitable knot and adjusted it for her. She backed up and admired  the look before leaning forward and kissing Julie lovingly. 

 

“You’re so goddamned cute, I can’t stand it.” She said. “I’m going to bawl my eyes out at the ceremony, just so you know.”

 

“Don’t sweat it, I’m going to as well. That’s what people do at weddings.”

 

Maru looked her in the eye.

 

“Seriously, though? I’m so happy for you two. One of my best friends is marrying the other, plus I get to watch my girlfriend be a cheesy, smiling sap for a couple hours. It’s going to be so much fun! Don’t let me drink at the party or I  _ will  _ make a speech.”

 

Julie knew she wasn’t bluffing.

 

The time ticked on, and the wedding was almost upon them. Julie paced around her living room, rehearsing her vows in her head. Maru rubbed her shoulders and reassured her for the dozenth time that day that everything was going to be fine. Julie glanced at the clock. Eleven thirty. She would have to leave soon.

 

Julie did a last check-up on the house, set out food for Bast, and met Maru at the door.

 

“Ready?” Maru asked.

 

Julie nodded and took a deep breath.

 

“Ready. Let’s get this show on the road.”

 

Maru pushed the door open and held it for Julie while she put on her jacket. They locked the door behind them and made their way out into the sunshine. Clouds lingered on the horizon, but the skies above were as blue as she’d ever seen them. Her land was covered in a thin layer of frost, and her breath fogged in front of her. It was beautiful in that wintery sort of way.

 

The ground crunched underfoot as they made their way towards town. Julie felt her heart beginning to rise into her throat, but at the same time she felt a dizzy kind of anticipation. She was getting married! She could hardly believe it was possible.

 

They approached the town square and Julie took a breath to steel herself. In the middle of town, a wedding arch had been erected. The entire population of Pelican Town had turned up, standing in rows to either side of the arch and chatting excitedly. A hush fell over the crowd as Julie approached.

 

Julie caught the eyes of several people, many of whom gave her a thumbs-up. Then, she looked past the crowd, to the arch itself. Mayor Lewis stood to one side, holding a few important-looking documents. And there, looking about nervously, was Penny.

 

Julie stopped cold as soon as she laid eyes on her. She wore a flowing white dress that trailed a bit behind her and sparkled like fresh-fallen snow. Julie placed a hand over her mouth and felt a tear coming to her eye.

 

“Wow.” She whispered to herself.

 

Penny caught sight of her and a grin spread across her face. Julie ran a hand through her hair to push it out of her face and strode up beside Penny. The assembled crowd clapped.

 

“You look beautiful.” Said Julie softly.

 

“So do you.” Penny said, her eyes drinking in the sight of Julie’s outfit. “Wow.”

 

They shared a look of giddy excitement. The Mayor began to read from one of his papers.

 

“When Julie first arrived in Pelican Town, no-one knew if she would fit in with our community. But from this day forward, she will be as much a part of this town as any of us!”

 

More clapping from the crowd.

 

“It is my great honor on this day to unite Julie and Penny in the bonds of marriage!”

 

Julie looked into Penny’s eyes. Penny beamed back.

 

“You may now read your vows.”

 

Penny stepped forward and retrieved a small slip of paper from within the folds of her dress. She cleared her throat.

 

“Julie, these last few years have been the happiest I’ve ever known, and that’s all thanks to you. You bring light and joy into my life and you have become one of my best friends. I vow to love and cherish you through times of struggle as well as times of happiness. I love you with all my heart and I want to be with you for as long as I can.”

 

A tear trickled its way down Penny’s cheek. Julie reached up and gently wiped it away. Julie removed her own vows from her pocket and spoke.

 

“Penny, from the moment we met I knew you were something special. You accepted me for who I was, despite the unusual circumstances surrounding everything. We’ve been there for each other through everything the world could throw at us, and I will be there for you for as long as I draw breath. I love you so much, and I would be honored to call myself your wife.”

 

Julie was crying. Penny was crying. Half the audience was crying. Julie looked into her love’s eyes and held out her hands. Penny took them.

 

They Mayor looked like he didn’t want to interrupt, but after a few moments he spoke up again.

 

“Do any among us object to this union?”

 

Silence.

 

“Excellent! Julie, Penny… As the Mayor of Pelican Town, and regional bearer of the matrimonial seal, I now pronounce you wife and wife! You may kiss.”

 

Penny flung her arms around Julie’s neck and pulled her into a long, tender kiss. The crowd erupted into cheers. Julie’s head was spinning, but she knew as long as she held onto Penny, she would be alright.  After several long seconds, they split apart, turning to the crowd and holding each other’s hands up into the air. The cheers rang out, warming up the cold winter air.

 

The next hour or so was a blur of saying hello to friends and wellwishers in town. As soon as the ceremony properly ended, Julie and Penny turned to meet the crowd of onlookers and found Leah, Emily, Maru, and Pam all in the front row. Pam looked as though she was making a mighty effort not to shed a tear. She wrapped her daughter in a tight hug and then pulled her new stepdaughter into a hug just as crushing. 

 

“You look beautiful, baby girl.” Pam said to Penny. She looked at Julie. “Welcome to the family, kid.”

 

Julie and Penny were then set upon by Maru, Abigail, Emily, Elliot and Leah, with a queue forming up behind them. Maru hugged Penny so firmly that she lifted her off of the ground.

 

“You two were so lovely! I choked up when you read your vows.” She dabbed at her eyes and pulled Julie into a hug of her own. “Congratulations, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you!”

 

Emily came up and the hugs began anew.

 

“Em, thank you so much for all your hard work on these outfits!” Julie said.

 

“Of course! I’m so happy I got to play a part in all this. You two are destined for great things, I can just feel it!”

 

Leah hugged Julie and then Penny, her face going ever so slightly red. Penny didn’t notice, but Julie gave Leah a knowing smile.

 

“Thank you so much for coming!” Julie said to her. She smiled back.

 

"Wouldn't miss it for anything."

 

Elliot had woven dried flowers into his hair for the occasion and had even worn a coat with no patches on the elbows. He dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief and hugged each of them, careful to handle Julie gently.

 

“What a lovely ceremony!” He said. “I always cry at weddings.”

 

The Mayor called Julie and Penny over and had them sign their marriage license.

 

“Congratulations to both of you!” He said. “Just sign here and the marriage will be official!”

 

Julie took the pen and looked at the official-looking document before her. At the bottom was a space to sign her name. She hesitated for just a moment, stealing a glance over at Penny. She looked about as nervous as Julie felt, but when her eyes came up and met Julie's a kind of certainty passed through them. She smiled. That was all the encouragement Julie needed. She signed her name.

 

Once the papers were signed and all the townsfolk had gotten a chance to wish the newlyweds well, the festivities moved back to Julie and Penny’s farm. Of those gathered for the wedding, about half stuck around for the reception, following Julie and Penny back to their home and bringing with them all manner of food and drink. 

 

When they reached home, Julie opened the door and told their friends to make themselves at home. As the crowd shuffled in, Penny took Julie’s hand.

 

“Hey.” She said. “How are you feeling?”

 

Julie smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.

 

“Me? I’m feeling fantastic. A little cold, perhaps.”

 

Penny leaned in closer to whisper in Julie’s ear.

 

“Just you wait until tonight. I have a few ideas on how l can warm you up.”

 

She gave a quick nip to Julie’s earlobe, causing her to gasp involuntarily. Her face red as a beet, Julie gave her wife a kiss.

 

“I can hardly wait.” She whispered. “I have plans for you as well, my love.”

 

Penny put a hand to her heart and giggled.

 

“I certainly hope so. For now, let’s go and socialize for a while. Then, once everyone clears out, I’m hauling you into the shower with me.”

 

Julie grinned.

 

“That sounds like a plan to me.”

 

They clasped hands and entered their home.

 

A smattering of cheers and applause met them when they walked through the door. Julie and Penny stood there a moment, glancing around the sea of faces and trying to smile at them all. Julie had never before seen her living room so lively.

 

The first hour or so was a collection of cheers and congratulations as everybody present flocked around Julie and Penny. After a long series of hugs and handshakes, Julie managed to make it to her kitchen. Somewhere along the way, she had lost Penny, who had been diverted into conversation by Maru, Abigail, and Leah. Julie chuckled to herself. 

 

She began setting out food. Maru saw her doing so and zipped over to help. Abigail and Penny kept talking, now on a roll about something. It was wonderful to see her this lively and happy.

 

“Thanks, love.” Julie said, handing a stack of plates to Maru. “I forgot I couldn’t stretch to reach the second shelf.”

 

“Happy to help!” Said Maru. “Let’s throw a hell of a party!”

 

They finished the housekeeping and food prep in short order, mostly thanks to Maru, and rejoined the party. Penny burst out laughing due to something one of the girls said and Julie’s heart warmed at the sound. She had such a lovely laugh. Julie stepped up beside her and curled an arm around her waist. Penny wiggled in contentment.

 

The party went on for some time, stretching through the afternoon. Most of it consisted of sitting around chatting and eating. The conversation was all over the place, ranging from standard post-wedding congratulations to amusing murder anecdotes to a detailed walkthrough of just how they had conquered the Haunted Maze. Julie’s injuries were stiff and aching, as they often were, but she hardly noticed. She  was having a blast.

 

` “So there I am, waist deep in sludge and I don’t even know what, and suddenly down the tunnel I see a carnivorous pig the size of a small bus.”

 

Her friends all ‘Ooh’ed appropriately.

 

“How’d you defeat it?” Asked Abigail, on the edge of her seat.

 

“Well, I took a running start, slid across the ground right underneath the big bastard, and brought my sword up as I slid. Bam, pork’s on the menu.”

 

A few members of the audience grimaced a bit, but a few others let out another series of ‘ooh’s. Abigail looked enthralled. Julie cleared her throat.

 

“Anyway, the moral of the story is that you shouldn’t hang around in sewers. You’d think that would be self-evident, but who am I to say?”

 

The group laughed.

 

Abigail spoke up again.

 

“Have you ever had to deal with spiders?”

 

Julie shuddered a bit.

 

“The maze was lousy with them. Once I had to hunt a summoner that kept conjuring spiders from out of the ether. They created them as fast as I could cut them down.”

 

The rest of her guests looked intrigued, but Abigail was on the edge of her seat.

 

“How did you win the fight?”

 

“After like fifteen straight minutes of nothing but fighting spiders, I finally found the summoner in this massive room with stairs leading two stories down. They were standing on the edge of the stair, ringing a bell and muttering an incantation. The second they saw me, they began another ritual. But I had a plan.”

 

She paused.

 

“Which was?” Penny asked.

 

“To punch them right in the face.”

 

Penny laughed. Abigail looked impressed.

 

“Did that work?”

 

“It did, surprisingly enough. They were knocked off of their feet and sent clear past the stairs. It was a long drop from there.”

 

“I’ll have to remember that.” Said Abigail.

 

Julie did her best to change gears away from Hunter tales, if only for Penny’s sake. She asked Emily a few questions about the design process behind their wedding attire, and Emily took it excitedly from there. Julie sat on the couch with her arm around Penny’s shoulders and listened contentedly while Emily went into detail about how their clothes were made.

 

People began to trickle out as the evening wore on. The first to go was Pam, after fixing herself a plate of food for the road. She hugged Penny once again and gave Julie an appreciative smile.

 

“I’m off for home.” She said to Penny. “You kids enjoy the rest of your special day.”

 

“Alright. Love you, Mom.”

 

“Love you too, Pen.”

 

With that, Pam grabbed one more bread roll and walked out the door.

 

The next to go was Sebastian. He hadn’t said much the entire evening, but he seemed to be mildly enjoying himself, which was more frivolity than julie had ever seen him express. He stood up and put on his coat, stopping to talk to Maru in the kitchen. Julie noticed him lean in to whisper something in Maru’s ear and saw a small paper bag furtively change hands. Then, Sebastian was gone. He hadn’t even really said goodbye to anyone.

 

Maru set the paper bag on the counter and shook her head, laughing.

 

Julie was intrigued. She gave Penny a little affectionate squeeze and got up from off of the couch to see what was so funny.

 

Maru spoke in a low voice so as to not draw attention.

 

“Sebastian wanted me to give you this as a ‘wedding present’.”

 

She held up the paper bag and handed it to Julie. Julie did her best to unroll the top of the bag without making too much noise. She opened it.

 

Inside were three brownies.

 

Oh, dear.

 

Julie laughed out loud and rolled the bag back up.

 

“I’m going to stash these in the back of the fridge.” She said to Maru. “I remember last time. It wouldn’t do to have someone just pick one up for dessert.”

 

Maru laughed again.

 

“No, it wouldn’t. As interesting a case study as it would make, you need to go into the experience knowing what you’re getting into.”

 

The party guests trickled out one by one. Soon, it was just Abigail, Maru, and Leah left. They lounged across the couch and talked of a great many things. Past foolishness, future plans, and all manner of joking. It set Julie’s heart at ease. 

 

She was in her home with her wife and most of her friends. She had survived the harrowing ordeal that Spirit’s Eve had proven to be, laid to rest the mystery that had haunted her through the Fall, and somehow managed to get engaged/married by the end of the whole bloody business. It seemed that her life would never be ‘normal’, but at least it wasn’t boring.

 

Julie drew her attention back to the conversation at hand. Abigail was looking at her expectantly.

 

“Come again?”

 

“I said: Would you be willing to teach me some moves after you’ve healed up? I’ve been trying to work on my swordsmanship!”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“Sure!” Julie was a firm believer in teaching her fellow women to kick ass. “Do you have a blade?”

 

Abigail’s face fell a bit.

 

“Uh… Not as of yet. Where would I get one?”

 

Julie stopped and pondered.

 

“Ok, I’ll tell you what. You bring me 200 gold and I’ll go and buy a sword from Marlon. I can teach you the basics from there. We’ll stash the blade here so your dad doesn’t find out.”

 

Abigail couldn’t have looked happier.

 

Abigail got up to leave shortly thereafter, rolling her eyes and saying her dad would be calling to ask where she was if she wasn’t home soon. She thanked Julie profusely and grabbed an hors d’oeuvre, popping it into her mouth as she said her goodbyes.

 

Leah went next, standing up and stretching like a cat.

 

“I’d best be heading home. It’s gonna suck finding my way to the fireplace in the dark, but at least I don’t have to worry about my place being ‘haunted’ anymore.”

 

She looked at Julie with a mixture of appreciation and guilt.

 

“I’m so sorry you had to get hurt to set things right.”

 

Julie stood up a little shakily and gave Leah a hug.

 

“Don’t worry about me, dearie. I’d do it again, for anyone in this room.”

 

Maru spoke up.

 

“Let’s try to avoid that in the first place, if at all possible.”

 

Julie nodded.

 

“I’m none too keen on getting stabbed again.”

 

Leah went to say goodbye to Penny and hesitated for a moment, looking as though she wanted to say something. She caught Julie’s eye. Julie just smiled and winked. Leah looked at Penny.

 

“You looked absolutely stunning today.” Leah said softly. Julie watched Penny’s face fill with color as a smile graced her lips. It was adorable.

 

“Thank you.” Penny replied, a bit flustered. “And thank you for coming! It means a lot.”

 

Leah hugged Penny and Julie shortly thereafter.

 

“Congratulations again, lovebirds. I’m sure I’ll see you around soon.”

 

“Don’t be a stranger!” Said Penny.

 

“Get home safe, Leah.” Said Julie.

 

“Can do!”

 

Then, it was just Julie, Penny, and Maru left in the house. Maru yawned and stretched her arms over her head. She looked back and forth between Penny and Julie for a moment before angling herself towards the door.

 

“I think I’ll let you two get some alone time. You’ve been entertaining people all day.”

 

She hugged Penny tight.

 

“It was an honor being there to help with your wedding. Thank you for making me a part of it.”

 

She turned to Julie and hugged her in a gentler fashion so as to not aggravate her wounds.

 

“You as well, Julie. It brings me so much pride to see how far you two have come together.”

 

She opened the door and looked back.

 

“You guys have fun! I’ll see you soon!”

 

With that, she was out the door, leaving Penny and Julie standing alone in their living room.

 

They waited until Maru’s form disappeared down the northern path, then Julie drew the curtains. They turned and looked each other in the eye.

 

Penny bit her lip.

 

“You want to help me out of this dress?”

 

Julie nodded and stepped forward, bringing Penny close to her and kissing her with the same vigor they had shared at the archway. Julie’s hands fumbled for the zipper on the side of the elaborate garment while Penny pressed against her. Eventually she found the blasted thing and unzipped the dress from just under Penny’s armpit to her hip.

 

Penny wiggled the dress off of herself and stepped out of it as it fell in a bundle on the floor. She stood there, shivering just a little bit in the evening chill. She pressed herself against Julie, kissing her and wrapping her arms around her neck. Julie returned the kiss with passion, unclasping her wife’s bra and discarding it onto the couch.

 

Penny began unbuttoning the front of Julie’s vest and undershirt, working her way down the line with a slow, deliberate precision. Julie cast her finery aside onto the couch and began fumbling with her belt. Penny giggled and began to help her.

 

When they were at last free of their wedding attire (save Julie’s tie, which hung around her neck. She had plans for it.), the happy couple retreated to their bedroom and locked the door.

 

They stood there a moment, looking at each other with a palpable hunger.

 

“Are you ready?” Penny asked.

 

“Mm-hm.” Julie said. She took the tie from around her neck and untied it, holding the length of it in her hands and eyeing her wife with a devilish smile. “Are you?”

 

Penny flopped down on the bed and patted the space next to her. 

 

“Oh, I’m ready for anything you have in mind.”

 

There was just one thing left to see to. Julie leaned over to the bedside table and switched on the small stereo they kept there. She adjusted the volume and activated the music storage device hooked up to the stereo, throwing on a playlist she had cultivated for this specific occasion. Now they had mood music.

 

Julie climbed onto the bed and set about tying Penny’s hands to a loop in the headboard, securing the tie firmly but gently around her wrists. She leaned down and kissed Penny intermittently, tying the knot after a few false starts. Penny gasped as she felt her restraints tighten.

 

The next half hour consisted of an achingly slow give-and-take between the two lovers, Julie listening to and following instructions that Penny gave. Julie savored the time she spent attending to Penny’s needs. It gave her a very visceral pleasure to be able to hear and feel that she was doing a good job. 

 

Penny strained against her improvised restraints, but Julie’s knots held firm. She began to beg for more, a request that Julie was happy to indulge. Penny quivered and trembled like a leaf in the breeze. The things she was requesting were somewhat new, as was Julie’s new title of ‘Mistress’, but Julie attended to her every whispered request with dedication. Her jaw muscles were beginning to ache, but such was life.

 

At some point along the way, Julie freed one of Penny’s hands to allow her to reciprocate. And reciprocate, she did. Penny knew just where to touch, just where to caress, and she worked with passion.

 

They continued on like this for some time, allowing themselves to get lost to the rhythm. Penny’s restraints were undone and she leapt onto Julie, kissing everywhere she could reach and biting down in a variety of places. She was careful around Julie's healing wounds, making sure to not press down too hard or move too quickly. To Julie's relief, the whole process was proving relatively pain-free.

 

It was now Julie's turn to receive attention, and she found herself clutching at the bedspread while Penny saw to her wants with practiced hands. Julie closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, her thoughts beginning to short-circuit. She let herself be swept up in the building tide and her hands clamped onto Penny for all she was worth. She cried out, unable to stop herself.

 

Outside, snow began to fall softly.

 

By the time the two were well and truly finished, Julie was panting for breath and Penny was left twitching. They lay huddled in a warm embrace for some time, shivering and holding onto each other for warmth. 

 

After a long rest to get control of her limbs back, Julie staggered to her feet and began making her way to the restroom. She fired up the hot water in the shower and stopped to admire her reflection in the mirror. The scars were still there, but she would heal with time. She was even managing to keep on weight, which came as a relief.

 

Penny joined her and they stepped into the steamy confines of the shower. It was a bit of a squeeze, but they managed to sit down, Penny’s back against the wall and Julie in Penny’s lap. Julie had angled the shower head so that its spray would hit their bodies and not their faces.

 

They didn’t say anything for a long time, catching their breath and breathing in the clouds of steam surrounding them. Julie felt Penny’s arms around her and the warmth of the water raining down from above and felt a kind of vulnerable she hadn’t known in a long time.

 

Julie reached over her shoulder and began stroking Penny’s hair in a soothing fashion. Penny reached up and rubbed Julie’s shoulders. Julie let out a moan. She held all of her tension in her everything.

 

“Julie?” Penny asked.

 

“Yes, my love?”

 

“Did our wedding live up to the standards of your old world? I know you’ve mentioned the practices being a bit different.”

 

Julie chuckled and leaned her head back onto Penny’s shoulder.

 

“It was quick, and it was a bit public, but it was everything I’d ever hoped it to be. Mostly because I was getting married to you.”

 

She kissed her.

 

“I love you.”

 

Penny let out a dreamy sigh.

 

“I love you, too. I’m so glad you enjoyed today. I’m glad for a lot of things.”

 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Julie.

 

“Hmm.” She said out loud.

 

“What?” Penny asked.

 

“Oh, just thinking out loud. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’ve never asked your surname.”

 

“My what?”

 

“Your last name. Do they have last names in this realm? In my homeland, one partner generally either took the surname of the other or hyphenated the two names into one. ”

 

Penny looked like she understood.

 

“I see. we have those here, but it's pretty rare to hear someone use one. They're mostly used as terms of respect or to distinguish people for legal reasons. So, I have one, but I really don’t like using it.” She pasued. “I get it from my father.”

 

“Ah." Said Julie. "That makes sense. Don’t worry, I won’t pry.”

 

Penny looked over at her with a smile, brushing a bit of wet hair from out of her eyes.

 

“You mentioned taking your partner’s name?” She said. Julie nodded. “Suppose I like that idea. What would my new name be?”

 

Julie froze for just a moment. She hadn’t used her surname in years.

 

“Suva.” She said. “Penny Suva."

 

Penny grinned.

 

“I like it.”

 

They sat covered in a cloak of silence a while longer, the falling water the only sound to be heard.

 

Julie was worn out, warm, and comfortable enough to sleep. She yawned and Penny did the same.

 

“About ready for bed, honey?” Penny asked.

 

“Yes, that sounds lovely.”

 

Julie shut off the water and reached for the towels, first handing one to Penny then taking one for herself. They dried off and sauntered naked through their house and back to bed. Julie flipped off the lights while Penny curled up on the mattress. Julie crawled into bed next to her and laid her head down on the pillow.

 

Penny scooted close to her and wiggled with contentment.

 

“Goodnight, Julie. Today has been wonderful.”

 

Julie leaned over and stole one more kiss before bed. She was a lucky woman.

 

“Goodnight,  _ kochanie _ . I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.”

 

The two lay in silence for a long time, basking in the closeness and letting their breathing fall into sync. Julie draped an arm around Penny and planted the softest of kisses on the back of her neck.

 

Julie smiled to herself. They would spend the better part of the next day cleaning up, but the party had been a great deal of fun. She was married! She could hardly believe it. She supposed she would have a great deal of time to get used to it.

 

That was work for tomorrow. Tonight all she had to do was rest.

 

She lay there for a long time, listening to the sounds Penny made as she got comfortable and began to drift off. How had Julie gotten so fortunate? She'd found a new life here, as well as someone to share it with. She couldn't have asked for much more.

 

She felt consciousness slipping away from her, and she pulled Penny just a little bit closer. This was where she wanted to be, and she would stay here for quite some time to come.

 

The future looked bright.


End file.
